


Practice, Practice, Practice

by RebelPaisley



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Adult Language, Bonding, Complete, Crew Dynamics, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Dubious Consent Due To Love Potion, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Humiliation, Humor, Kissing Practice, Love Potion/Spell, Low Self-Esteem, M/M, Mal has to do everything, Mildly Dubious Consent, Movie: Descendants (2015), Multi, No Beta we die like vikings, Not Audrey friendly, OT6, Polyamory, Public Berating, Referenced Neglect, Romance, Sex Magic, Sexual Situations, Slash, Social Anxiety, Sweet Chad, Unreliable Narrator, and Mal’s still getting used to Auradon, because Chad never knows what’s entirely going on, culture clash, magic shenanigans, oblivious chad, tags added as we go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:41:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 26,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27782386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebelPaisley/pseuds/RebelPaisley
Summary: Look, Chad wasn’t the smoothest guy in the world.  He pretended to be, but when faced with a pretty girl that wanted to kiss him, he just sort of panicked.  Cue Mal, of all people, helping him build his confidence so Evie could get the prince she deserved.  Chad’s not sure what she gets out of the exchange exactly, but he’s not complaining.Also known as: That time kissing practice helped save the world, sort of.  Or at least, led a motley crew of teenagers to consider alternatives other than evil ;)
Relationships: Ben/Chad Charming, Ben/Chad Charming/Evie, Ben/Chad Charming/Evie/Jay/Mal/Carlos de Vil, Chad Charming/Evie, Chad Charming/Jay, Chad Charming/Mal, Evie/Jay/Mal/Carlos de Vil
Comments: 45
Kudos: 112





	1. Warm Ups

“What the hell are you doing?”

Chad wouldn’t say he was surprised by the sudden intrusion so much as he was bamboozled, because one moment he’d been walking back to his dorm room after Tourney practice, pondering the conundrum that was Evie, and the next he was blindsided by a petite, purple-haired teen who more or less shoved him into an alcove between buildings and glared at him as though offended by the audacity that was his existence. 

It was very confusing, and a little bit terrifying.

“Um… walking?” Chad didn’t know who this person was. He knew she was very pretty, with pale skin and bright green eyes and a commitment to the color purple which seemed pretty neat, but like, that didn’t help the situation any, because Chad had always been mildly terrified of pretty girls. It was what made being near Evie so difficult. 

“I mean,” the small girl hissed, jabbing a finger into Chad’s chest. “What are you doing with _Evie_?”

“Um.” Chad looked around in panic, as though the referenced princess was somewhere nearby and he’d just missed her, but luckily it was just him and the tiny accuser in their little alcove. “…I don’t know?”

“You don’t _know_?” the girl growled, digging her finger deeper into Chad’s chest. She was going to leave a bruise at this rate, but Chad didn’t have the heart to mention that, since she probably didn’t mean to. “You’re making her do your homework and you _don’t know_?”

“Oh.” Chad blinked. Maybe this girl was one of Evie’s friends. “Right. I didn’t think she’d actually do it.” At the worsening glare, Chad rushed to add, “I mean, usually that makes the girls go away, so I asked her to do it, but then she said _yes_ so now I just feel bad and I think she might _actually_ do my homework so…”

Evie’s friend stared at him like he was an incomprehensible thing. “So… what, you’re a queer?”

“What?” Chad could feel a rush of heat flood his cheeks. “ _No_. I mean- I don’t- maybe like, partially? I dunno. I know I’m attracted to girls but like, they also scare me, because they want me to be super charming like my dad but I can only fake that for about two minutes before I start freaking out.”

Chad wasn’t allowed to socialize much when he was younger. After his mother’s death, security had really tightened up around the castle, and his father and grandpa had been so busy running Sardinia that they didn’t really have time for Chad, and no one else really knew what to do with him either, so just sort of… nothing happened.

“I don’t know what to do,” Chad gushed, because purple-haired girl didn’t look like she was going to say anything. “I’ve never gotten to this point and I think Evie wants me to kiss her. I’ve never kissed anyone; what if it’s super awful? I don’t want to give her a bad kiss, she’s like, super smart and poised and pretty.”

“Okay.” Evie’s friend held up a hand as though to cut him off, and then her eyes closed, one hand rising to pinch the bridge of her nose. “Are you telling me that you tried to scare Evie off _not_ because she is the daughter of the Evil Queen, but because you’re afraid of disappointing her?”

“Right.” Chad nodded, and then he frowned. “She’s the daughter of the Evil Queen?”

Evie’s friend stared at him like he was stupid, which was probably not unfair.

“Oh, right.” Chad flushed. “Ben brought transfer students over from the Isle. Um… well, as long as _she’s_ not evil it should be fine, right? And Evie doesn’t seem evil, she’s just like- really cool.”

And wanted Chad to kiss her for some reason which was sort of weird, because she could literally pick anyone. 

Evie’s friend dragged a hand across her face. “Sweet _evil_ ,” she hissed, which was worrisome for all of a second, and then she was latching onto his wrist. “Okay, we’re going to your room.”

“We are?” Chad asked, surprised, but he followed her nonetheless, because this was the longest conversation he’d had with a girl since he’d come to the _‘appropriate dating age_ ’. 

“Yes,” the slight teen huffed. “We’re going to fix your stupid performance anxiety and then you’re going to date Evie and not make her do your homework.”

“Could you, um- if you’re her friend, could you just get my homework back from her?” Chad asked. “I’ll do it myself, just like- I didn’t expect her to call my bluff-”

“I’ll make it happen,” Evie’s friend groaned with a roll of her eyes. “ _Hades_ , I have to do everything.”

“Sorry,” Chad said, because it was only polite.

For whatever reason, that earned him a startled look of confusion before the girl recovered into what seemed to be her usual scowl. “Whatever. I warn you now, if this was all just some act-”

“It’s not,” Chad cut in, insistent. “I mean, the charming stuff, _that’s_ mostly an act, and I’m not even that good at it.”

“You don’t have to do _that_ stuff,” Mal declared, dragging him onward despite the fact that she couldn’t know where they were going. “Just… do this, now. Evie will like that.”

Chad pondered over this as she pulled him up the stairs and into the dormitories, veering off to the side in the general direction of Chad’s room. 

Maybe she really _did_ know where he slept. 

“You really think so?” Chad asked. “But I’m all…” What was the word Audrey had used? “Um… needy.”

Evie’s friend shot him an unreadable look. “Just stick to the part where you give her compliments and like, respect her as a human and you’ll be fine.”

“Oh, okay.” Those both seemed doable. Chad already did those. “And um… you don’t think she’ll be disappointed?”

“Trust me, you’ve already got everything she needs.” Which seemed like sort of a vague response, before she continued with, “You don’t care that she’s from the Isle.”

“I mean.” Chad frowned. “Should I? _She_ didn’t commit any crimes.” The thought of it filled him with an unspeakable sadness. “…that must have been awful. I’m glad Ben brought the transfer students over, maybe he’ll finalize their citizenships after coronation so they don’t have to go back.” He thought about it some more. “And then maybe he’ll bring some more kids over. He should try for all of them, and maybe they can’t all come here, but like-”

He stumbled when Evie’s friend brought him to an abrupt halt, whirling to face him with a glare. “Do you even know who I am?”

“Um…” This was likely a question with a very obvious answer, and Chad felt dumb for not knowing it. “…Evie’s friend?”

The glare intensified. “From the _Isle_.”

“Oh.” Right, that sort of explained her clothes. They were way more durable than the stuff the princesses wore. “I didn’t know that.”

“I’m beginning to think you don’t know anything,” Evie’s friend huffed, blowing her bangs out of her face. “I’m Mal.”

“Oh.” Chad perked up. “I’m Chad.”

“I _know_ ,” she drawled, but it seemed like the corner of her mouth was picking up in a smirk, so that probably meant good things. “Do you know who my mom is?”

“Um…” Chad was getting really sick of these questions he didn’t have answers to. “Someone with purple hair?”

“Maleficent,” Mal deadpanned, watching Chad with a careful look.

Maleficent. As in-

“Oh, wow.” Chad blinked, because Mal’s mom had been like, super terrifying. “So are you like, part fairy?”

That seemed to catch Mal off guard, and then she studied him warily. “Yes?”

“That’s awesome.” Chad grinned. “My mom had a fairy godmother. They said her blood was ‘Fae blessed’, and I don’t think that passed onto me, but like- fairies are cool.”

Mal gave him another look like he was stupid. “You know I’m part dark fairy, right?”

“Yeah.” Chad nodded. “Dark as in shadows, not evil. Or, I mean, it doesn’t necessitate evil. That’s um, not a direct correlation, I think.”

Mal just sort of stared at him again. “You’re a damn weirdo.”

Chad blushed. “Sorry.”

“No, that’s-” Mal pinched the bridge of her nose again. “That’s fine. At least, comparatively, that’s fine. Come on.”

She dragged Chad onwards until they were eventually at his room door, which meant Mal _had_ tracked down that information before finding him.

She didn’t wait for Chad to pull the key from his pocket, choosing to do so herself before deftly unlocking the door and pushing her way inside. As expected, Doug was already at his desk working on homework, and he blinked at their entrance. 

“Doug, Mal,” Chad said while Mal tossed the key onto his desk. “Mal, Doug. Doug is the son of-”

“I don’t care,” Mal said, and then she was grabbing Chad’s wrist again, pulling him towards his closet for whatever reason.

“ _Um_ ,” Doug said from behind them.

“She didn’t mean that,” Chad assured his roommate, and then Mal was pushing inside the walk-in, locking the door behind them and nudging Chad towards the ottoman he’d brought from home because sometimes he needed to hide in his closet when things got overwhelming and it just seemed kind of sad to huddle on the floor all the time.

“Sit,” she instructed, so Chad sat, and then his heart started beating at a rapidly accelerated tempo when Mal curled up on the ottoman next to him. “Alright,” she said. “We’re going to get you over this kissing thing.”

“How?” Chad asked. “I mean, have you ever done it? Because I’ve never done it-”

“We’re going to _kiss_ , stupid,” Mal sighed, and that didn’t do much to help Chad’s nerves.

“But-” he sputtered. “But it will be bad.”

“Exactly,” Mal sighed. Again. “The first few times will be bad and then you’ll get _better_ and you’ll use the better kisses on Evie and you’ll hold her hand and do whatever it takes to make her happy, got it?”

“I mean- yeah, I can do that.” When it was spelled out for him like that, it didn’t seem so hard. “Would you um- be okay with giving me tips? To keep her happy? I don’t want to be a bad boyfriend. Not that I’m her boyfriend,” he rushed to say. “She might change her mind, and that’s okay-”

“ _Hades_ ,” Mal cursed again. Or at least, Chad was pretty sure that was a curse. “You are going to be her boyfriend, okay? And you are going to treat her like a damn queen.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Chad said, and that at least earned him a tiny smile, which he reveled in up until the point where Mal leaned forward with her dainty, pale hands and started cupping his cheeks.

“Relax,” Mal ordered, tapping his jaw with rough fingers. “This isn’t a big deal. As long as you don’t treat it like one, it’s fine.”

“Okay.” Mal was doing him a favor, so Chad needed to listen to her. He needed to _calm down_ and _breathe_ and not get overwhelmed by the fact that she was very pretty and he didn’t have a lot to offer her. “I’ll um- I’ll try-”

“Just shut up,” Mal said, and then she was leaning forward.

Mal’s lips were as soft as they looked. They were pretty and firm, and Chad was afraid of ruining them, of ruining _this_ because it seemed so nice, but then Mal was moving against him, so he tried to follow her lead. He wasn’t sure if it was going alright, but Mal seemed like the type of person that would tell him if it wasn’t, and she kept angling his head so she could pull him into deeper kisses. 

“Oh wow,” Chad breathed when she finally pulled away, feeling partly dazed. “Was that good? You did good. That was- it was very nice.”

“Let’s keep it that way,” Mal growled, and then she was _climbing into his lap_.

He had- there was a pretty girl in his lap, and Chad was sort of afraid of how his body would respond to the warm weight straddling his legs. His hands moved reflexively to her waist, but Mal didn’t seemed to mind, the other teen seeming content to keep a hold of Chad’s face while they just sort of… lazily made out.

Good golly, miss molly, they were _making out_. Chad was making out with someone and it wasn’t going horribly wrong. That was pretty great, and then Mal was curling her fingers through his hair, scratching against his scalp in small patterns that made Chad shudder, because it felt so good.

Or, unfortunately, _too_ good, because Chad might be a prince but he was also a hormonal teenager and he couldn’t help how his body reacted in a certain way until that growing swell of warmth was pressing against Mal. 

_That_ was what made the half-fairy pull away, looking down with a concerned expression, and Chad tried to sputter his apologies. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“Huh,” she mused, reaching down to _cup his groin_. “You got worked up from this. With me?”

“Y-You’re very pretty,” Chad muttered somewhat ineffectually, and then she was _squeezing her hand_ -

Chad was completely blindsided by his release, falling apart then and there from so very little, and as good as it felt, he was mostly humiliated when it was done, because Mal was still watching him with a quirked brow.

“Okay,” she said, rubbing at him in a sort of tease. “We’ll have to work on that.”

“Work on um- what?” Chad breathed, still feeling half out of it.

“Your stamina,” Mal said, rolling her eyes. “It sucks. Evie deserves more than that, if she feels like, you know, getting jiggy with you.”

“You’re not wrong,” Chad said. “But do you think she’d actually want to- I mean, _you know_ , before we get married?”

That time when Mal rolled her eyes, she did it with such intensity that Chad was sort of surprised she didn’t fall over. “That is the most Auradon thing I have ever heard,” she grumbled, her palm very much still between his legs. “Look, I don’t know _what_ Evie’s going to want to do with you, all I know is that whatever it is, you’re gonna make it happen, okay? Which means we need to be prepared for any eventuality.” Mal gnawed at her bottom lip, seeming lost in thought. “You know, I might have a spell for that.”

“Really?” That seemed like a very specific thing to have a spell for.

“Sure.” Mal shrugged. “I’d have to reread the book again, but I think there’s something in there for that.”

“That would be cool.”

This earned him another one of those unreadable looks. “You’d be cool with getting spelled by the daughter of Maleficent?”

Chad shook his head. “I’d be cool with getting spelled by Mal, Evie’s friend and determined protector.” 

For the first time since their conversation had started, Mal gave him a genuine smile, one that warmed Chad down to his very bones.

Yeah, maybe this year wouldn’t be so bad after all. Maybe this year, Chad could have _friends_.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“Are you ready for this?” Mal asked when they reconvened in the closet the next day, which was apparently their new meeting ground. Mal had climbed in through the window that time, half giving Doug a heart attack before he rushed to hide some paperwork on his desk (why Doug thought Mal cared about his homework, Chad did not know). 

Chad had less of a heart attack, but only because Mal had told him ‘ _doors were for posers_ ’ the day before, which meant she obviously had an alternate solution in mind when it came to entering dorm rooms.

Which brought them to the closet.

“Not really,” Chad admitted, lying down on the ottoman as instructed. “But that’s like, my general outlook on life, so don’t be offended by it.”

Mal gave him another one of those looks that Chad was beginning to recognize as ‘amused’. 

“Whatever,” she dismissed, flipping through her spellbook. “Theoretically, this _should_ work, though for whatever reason the effects only last for an hour. I’ll have to do more research into extending it, but for now we’ll just practice with the basic spell and go from there.”

“Um… cool.” Chad hoped this worked out, and if it _did_ work out that there was a way to extend the spell, because having Mal recast it on him every time he made out with Evie ( _if_ he made out with Evie, just thinking about it made him shaky), would probably make things awkward very fast. 

“Just relax,” Mal huffed, rolling her eyes. “I might be new to magic, but this is straight forward enough.”

She frowned at the book in concentration, waving her fingers in a vague sort of pattern. Chad couldn’t really tell if anything was happening, but he did feel a sort of static build in the air, the hair on his arm standing up for a brief moment before a swell of foreign warmth seemed to flood Chad, settling right between his legs.

“ _Um_.” Alright, he was superbly aroused and nothing had happened, almost to the point of _aching_ and Chad whined, shifting his legs experimentally as he tried to sit up. 

Oh, just- _wow_ that hurt _and_ felt good and was super-duper conflicting.

“That is… unexpected,” Mal said, setting her book aside and climbing onto the ottoman beside Chad. “Were you- I dunno, thinking any happy thoughts before this?”

“N-Not really?” Chad gasped, wanting to palm himself but also _not_ because Mal was right there. “I was just nervous.”

Mal stared at him for a moment. “We’ll consider that hurdle later, for now, why don’t we try kissing without the premature, _you know_.”

“Right,” Chad said, and didn’t realize he was setting himself up for a torturous thirty minutes until Mal was climbing into his lap again. “S-Sorry.”

“I already knew it was there,” Mal huffed, her thigh shifting against him, sending distinct tingles through Chad’s torso. “Let’s just-” She ended the conversation by pulling Chad into a kiss, which was suitably distracting.

Chad thought he was getting better – things seemed more natural, at least, but it was hard to focus on that with the throbbing heat between his legs. He didn’t feel close to falling apart, just _aroused_ which was odd but what the spell entailed so he guessed everything was okay?

At least, it was until Mal reached down and started squeezing him, introducing a whole new level of torture. 

It felt _good_ , that went without question (and it was still very overwhelming and odd that a girl was touching his genitals, albeit through a layer of clothing), there just didn’t seem to be any relief from it. Mal started out her administrations easily, giving him a few soft gropes here and there, but as the minutes dragged on, she started to move her hand faster, attempting to coax a reaction out of Chad. 

When she finally pulled away from Chad’s lips, he whimpered, a horrible whine spilling from his throat as his hips rutted into her contact, even though it seemed to offer no relief.

“What the _fuck_?” Mal hissed, staring at Chad’s groin like it offended her. “Why haven’t you come yet?”

“I don’t- I don’t _know_ ,” Chad gasped. “It’s like I can’t. I want to, but I can’t.”

“Let me re-read the stupid spell,” Mal muttered. “Here, just-” She pressed one of his hands between his legs, and Chad didn’t even have the forethought to be embarrassed as he tried to relieve some of the ache, rocking into his own hand with a whine while Mal flipped through her book.

“D-Did you find something?” Chad gasped, humiliated to find frustrated tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. 

It felt good, but mostly it _hurt_ , and he really just wanted it to go away.

“…shit,” Mal hissed. “I must have misread this.”

“Can- can you undo it?” Chad gasped, eyes struggling to stay open as he was overwhelmed by the devastatingly strong sensations.

“Um… probably not.”

“ _Mal_ ,” Chad cried, literally _cried_ , because he was a baby but also because his groin was on fire.

“It’ll wear off in an hour!” Mal said. “Less than that, now. Just- what do you need to make this easier?”

“Could… could we kiss again?” Chad felt embarrassed to ask, but- “That sort of helped distract from-”

“Okay.” Mal didn’t make him finish, simply climbing into his lap again and then she was um- _licking_ at his lips, and then into his mouth, which was definitely distracting because it should be gross but really it felt nice.

Too nice, _nertz_ , the heat kept pooling between his legs, and he couldn’t help but rut _up_ into-

“S-Sorry,” Chad gasped again, tiny tears spilling from the corner of his eyes. “Maybe you should-”

“It’s _fine_ ,” Mal snapped, and then she was um- grinding down against him, and that was- he was grinding between her legs and granted they were wearing clothes but she was _also_ starting to get flushed and she looked very pretty like that and-

This was literally going to drive Chad crazy. 

He wasn’t sure how long into it they got before Mal lost herself. She buried her face into his shoulder, fingers digging into his curls while she rocked through her release, and that was so very hot and so very touching but mostly it was overwhelming because Chad _ached_ for his own relief. 

“Just-” Mal huffed sometime later, her hand working furiously between Chad’s legs while he shook. “Any second now-”

“ _Fuck!_ ” It felt like Chad had been punched in the gut, like the sensation of every release he _should_ have had hit him at once until he was a trembling mess, spasming back against the ottoman with a rough cry while his body seemed to tremble helplessly. 

It felt good to let go, or to finally be _allowed_ to let go and Chad was embarrassed by the mewls that fell out of his mouth, exacerbated by the hand Mal kept between his legs until Chad was finally done. It made him grateful that Doug had left for chess club that evening shortly after Mal arrived, or there really wouldn’t have been any way to describe _that_. 

“Aw, man,” Chad gasped, chest heaving as the aftershocks rocked their way through his body. “Oh, geeze. _Wow_ , I-”

“Guess that explains the reason for _that_ spell,” Mal said, flopping down beside him. “…are you mad?”

“What?” Chad blinked over towards her muzzily, still lost to the lingering throes of arousal. “Um- no? You were trying to help me. I’m not mad at you for that.”

Mal shot him a dry look. “You got stuck with a magic boner for an hour.”

“Yeah.” Chad winced. “Let’s not do that again.” 

There was a beat, and then Mal laughed. It was a helpless sort of laughter, and Chad found himself joining in on it, because the situation was so very silly.

“O-Okay,” Mal giggled, wiping mirthful tears from her eyes. “If you _insist_.” 

“I do,” Chad said, laughing along with her. “Please. Like, the end was good, but that was the only good part.”

“I shall make a note to be more diligent reading these things in the future,” Mal declared, petting Chad’s shoulder. “In the meantime, I guess we’ll work on your problem the old-fashioned way.”

“But not like, _now_ ,” Chad said, whimpering at the very thought of it. “Please. I um- I don’t think I can take it.”

“No,” Mal huffed, grinning. “Not now. _Now_ , we’ll get cleaned up,” she declared, rolling to her feet. “And then maybe you can show me how to do some of this stupid homework, because Evie wants me to try but it’s dumb.”

“Not all of it is,” Chad offered, and this was- it was cool. Despite how horrific the rest of it had sort of been, he was bonding with Mal now, which meant maybe he could bond with Evie, and maybe things weren’t entirely hopeless.

So he held onto that.

-:-:-:-:-:-

There was a lot of trial and error after that. They elected to do things the non-magical way, which required about a weeks’ worth of sessions in Chad’s closet before Mal was willing to give him the all clear to move on to Evie. Chad wasn’t entirely sure _what_ Mal had told Evie in order to get his homework back, but the purple-haired teen had assured him that the princess wasn’t mad, and had even given him pretty explicit instructions as what to do.

“She is a princess,” Mal explained, looking at Chad meaningfully in case he missed that. “You will treat her like one. Fairytale romance the shit out of her. She wants to be treated and recognized in a manner befitting her status. Do you get that?”

“Yes,” Chad said, looking up from where he was dutifully taking notes. “Should I um… get her flowers? Or would she like chocolates more? Maybe I should just do both.”

“Yes,” Mal said, her eyes narrowed in concentration. “Both. The answer is always both.”

Mal was so very helpful. 

“Hey, Chad,” Evie said when he came to pick her up, dressed in an elegant navy dress and looking far too pretty for someone who could be interacting with Chad on a regular basis.

Mal was standing just over her shoulder, making gestures towards Chad that ultimately equated to ‘ _don’t fuck this up_ ’. She used them a few times during their meetings.

“Hey um- Evie,” Chad managed, passing over the red and gold roses and box of Sardinian specialty chocolates. “I’m sorry about um- everything.”

This earned him a laugh that was sort of like majesty, if that had a sound. “I thought it was sweet, once Mal explained it,” she said, eying the gifts with an open delight. “Thank you, Chad.”

“My pleasure, your highness,” Chad said, remembering to bow. He could do this. He could be _charming_. “Our um- car awaits.”

“Outstanding,” she said, passing the gifts off to Mal, who was generous enough to give Chad a thumbs up. 

As per Mal’s request, Chad ‘fairytale romanced’ the sputz out of Evie. He took her to a nice Hanoven restaurant so she could get a taste for her home kingdom, the way she never had before. Chad was worried about what he would say, so he focused on mostly asking questions about Evie’s likes, about what she’d always wanted to see in Auradon. About the books she read and the clothes she wanted to design (and he was sure to compliment her on the stuff she _made_ , because apparently like, all of Mal’s clothes came from her and Mal was always dressed super cool). 

They even bonded over Mal, Evie seeming to appreciate the fact that Chad thought she was pretty great. 

“You’re not scared of her?” Evie asked over the dessert course.

“No, she’s awesome,” Chad assured her. “I like anyone who is willing to fight for their friends.”

Because that meant they cared a lot.

Chad wondered what that was like, sometimes.

“She does,” Evie hummed, somewhat dreamily. “Mal’s very protective. She fights for what’s hers.”

“Then I think you’re lucky,” Chad said. “To be her friend.”

The smile that earned him lasted the rest of the night, and when they got to the starlit carriage ride around the park, Evie let him _hold her hand_. 

“Maybe I’ll take you to the book shop next time,” Chad said as he took a break between pointing out constellations. “Mal said you’ve been wanting to expand your personal collection.”

He saw Evie freeze in his peripherals. “And you’re… okay with that?”

“Hm?” Chad turned to meet her confusion head on. “Of course. A healthy intellectual curiosity is a gift, I think. Or- Queen Belle said that, I was just quoting her, but um…” He stared down at his lap, feeling awkward and dumb all over again. “I didn’t really have friends, growing up. But I did have books, which are reliable and…”

“An escape?” Evie offered, squeezing his fingers. 

“Yeah.” Chad grinned. “Like that.”

“…I didn’t have friends growing up either,” Evie admitted, sort of blowing Chad’s mind. “I was confined to my mother’s castle until I was six for… my own protection, so I mostly kept myself occupied in the library, teaching myself things.”

“It really paid off,” Chad said. “I never would have thought to teach myself to sew. Like, I learned how to play the piano through trial and error, but Mal says you know like, _four_ languages and basic alchemy and you’re a super talented seamstress and-” Chad cut himself off with a flush, knowing he was blushing horribly. “Sorry, you’re just really cool and… I’m sorry you’ve been stuck on the Isle.” He hated the thought of someone as bright and talented as Evie being trapped behind the barrier. “You deserved to be out here this whole time, reading as many books as you wanted.”

For a moment, Chad thought he really messed up, Evie was so quiet, but eventually she squeezed his fingers again. 

When he looked up, she was smiling at him in that small way of hers. “Thank you, Chad. I really appreciate that.”

And the strangest thing was that he was pretty sure she was telling the truth. 

He parted ways with her at the door to her dorm room, passing over the bag of food they had gotten for Mal and the others (the guys whose names Chad couldn’t remember), before he got to kiss Evie’s _knuckles_.

Overall, it was not bad for a first date. He was pretty sure if he and his dad actually talked to each other, this would be a thing they could bond about. 

The next series of dates went pretty well. Chad did end up taking Evie to a book shop, and maybe to a fabric store. They worked in the kitchens together to make a picnic from recipes they had read in books but never dared to try themselves and ate them out in the gardens, giggling at the splotches of flour and fruit juice staining their clothes. Chad took Evie to an exhibit on Hanoven culture in the Central Auradon Museum, he brought her a movie adaptation of one of her favorite books and they watched it in the lounge area of her dorm room (Mal joined them for that one, making it even better in Chad’s opinion, the purple-haired teen mocking their excitement from her position splayed across the couch). They had study dates during the week, and sometimes he brought her the latest fashion magazines and she would explain the intricacies of the designs to him in French, because _of course_ she knew the major language of Central Auradon and Sardinia. 

Through it all, Mal was determined for Chad keep up his practice sessions with her, the purple-haired teen demanding recaps of all of his interactions with Evie. It helped to have her as his own private coach, because she knew better than anyone else if he was messing things up. So far she said he was doing a good job, but she warned him not to get cocky. Which was like, the last thing Chad wanted, so he definitely did not do that. 

Overall, things were good. Chad hoped they stayed that way.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“It’s not something just _anyone_ could do,” Audrey was saying – well, boasting, and the rest of them were dutifully listening because that was what you did when the princess of three kingdoms took over the lunch conversation. “It takes leadership, determination, and experience to be captain of the cheer team.”

“I never said it didn’t,” Ben offered kindly, the only one who would dare to break into the conversation when Audrey got like this. “I’m just saying…”

Important Ben stuff. Chad knew he should be listening, but half of his attention was a lunchroom away, at Evie and Mal’s table. Chad would be eating with them, only Mal told him that sometimes Evie needed ‘friend time’ without Chad, and because Chad respected boundaries, he resigned himself to his usual lunch table where he never said anything. It was difficult to say something wrong if you didn’t say anything at all, so Chad had mastered the art of polite disinterest _years_ ago, even though sometimes he was quite interested, if entirely intimidated.

“I mean,” Audrey continued. “It’s not like _Mal_ could do it.”

“She probably could if she wanted to,” Chad said before he could help himself. “She just wouldn’t want to.”

The entire concept of cheerleading seemed incomprehensible to Mal. She tended to edge away from the cheerleaders when they were wearing their uniforms the way one might avoid a rabid dog. It was sort of funny, until Chad realized she had likely encountered rabid dogs before.

It took Chad a few moments to realize the rest of the table was staring at him in surprise, because he’d just broken his two-year no-talking streak.

“Do you know her?” Aziz asked finally, his gaze flicking over to Mal’s table.

“Oh, yeah.” Chad grinned. “She’s Evie’s best friend, and like, she’s super tough, but also super cool. Look at this.” He dug through his backpack until he found his notebook, then opened it to the back page. “She drew this picture of Evie for me. Look how _good_ it is.”

“Wow,” Aziz said, completely without sarcasm, Chad was pretty sure. “This _is_ good.”

“I wanna see,” Lonnie said, deftly relieving Aziz of the notebook. “…damn.”

“Right?” Chad grinned. “She’s a super good artist, but she refuses to join the art club.”

Chad had settled for buying her art supplies instead, which she had accepted with great reluctance until Chad offered them as payment for her coaching sessions. Then she seemed more welcoming of the gifts.

“Are you friends with her, Chad?” Audrey asked, wearing that distinct expression she used to indicate that she was not happy and soon everyone else would also not be happy. Chad wasn’t sure why she was wearing it, though.

“Man, I hope so,” Chad said, retrieving his notebook because it contained a few more doodles from Mal and they were all precious to him. 

Unlike his girlfriend, Ben seemed positively thrilled by this news. “That’s great, Chad,” he chirped, almost making Chad freeze in terror because he wasn’t used to the other prince’s attention being entirely on _him_. “I’m glad to hear you two are getting along.”

“And that’s not all,” Lonnie said, brightening up in that certain way that meant she had hot gossip to share. “I’ve heard that Chadwick here has been seen taking Evie on excursions that could be considered _romantic_.”

“Yep.” Chad grinned, brightening up himself because it was finally his turn to brag. “Evie and I are dating.”

“Evie?” Aziz echoed, his brows furrowed in thought. “You turned down most of the princesses in the school but you decide to date her?”

“Um.” Chad could feel himself blushing. “She um… was the only one to call my bluff, so… yeah.”

“Your bluff?” Doug shared a confused look with Jane – the two of which had also dedicated themselves to similar plans of survival-by-silence, so they also normally didn’t talk, unless it was to each other.

Chad ducked his head. It was embarrassing, now that he had to spell it out, in front of _Ben_ no less. “Yeah, I um… I…”

“Oh, for Goodness’ sake,” Audrey said, picking angrily at her salad. “Chad was afraid of dating girls because he has daddy issues.”

“I do _not_.” If Chad had been embarrassed before, now it was- this was different, darker and more cruel, maybe closer to humiliation because that _wasn’t right_.

Audrey rolled her eyes. “He was afraid he’d let down the whole ‘charming’ name or whatever – _that’s_ why he hasn’t dated anyone. The only reason he’s dating Evie was because she was so desperate to get a prince that she’s willing to work through his dumb issues.”

“That’s not true either,” Chad said, feeling… he didn’t know how he felt, but ‘small’ seemed accurate. “Evie isn’t like that.”

“No, let me guess,” Audrey said. “She’s _‘super cool_ ’.”

“She _is_ ,” Chad insisted. “She’s really smart and talented-”

“Grow up, Chad,” Audrey huffed. “Just because they’re nice to you doesn’t mean they’re your friends. They’re just using you because you’re the only prince dumb enough to fall for their bullshit.”

“ _Audrey_ ,” Ben chided, wearing that same conflicted look he always wore when Audrey said something horrible, which was kind of a lot of the time. “That isn’t true-”

“Oh?” Audrey challenged, glaring at her boyfriend. “And what? Do you think they want to hang out with Chad because of his _sparkling_ personality? I mean- what personality? He doesn’t _have_ one!”

The words rang through the dining hall with a sort of brutality that ended all other conversations. Everyone stopped to stare at their table, Chad feeling more and more incompetent as the seconds dragged on. Because as shocked as his tablemates seemed by the volume of Audrey’s outburst, none of them seemed entirely surprised by the contents of her statement. 

Which meant they… they agreed. They thought Chad was nothing. He was nothing, to them. 

“Audrey,” Ben repeated, his expression hardening with resolve. “You need to calm down.”

“I’m just saying what we’re all _thinking_ ,” she spat, turning her fury onto Chad. “Chad, you’re a useless waste of space. You’re going to be a terrible king, and we’ve all thought that much for _years-_ ”

“I wouldn’t take the judgement of a spoiled brat too seriously,” Mal said, because Mal was there, standing just over Chad’s shoulder with a look of fury in her eyes that could not be contained. “Feeling defensive, Rose?”

“You don’t know _shit_ , Mal,” Audrey hissed.

Mal didn’t so much as blink. “I know your boyfriend’s got a wandering eye,” she drawled, looking entirely bored as she dropped that bombshell. “And instead of taking it out on him, you’re attacking the competition.”

None of that made sense, but it did shut Audrey up, the rest of the table falling into looks of shock.

“Whatever.” Mal rolled her eyes, motioning to Chad. “Come on, let’s get out of here before her stupid starts to spread.”

Chad scrambled to follow the order, mostly relieved (and a bit ashamed) that Mal had come to his rescue. He should have rescued himself, or just been better so Audrey wouldn’t have yelled at him in the first place. There was nothing he could do about it now, so he tried to walk with his head held high just like Mal, feeling some of the tension ease from his chest when Evie herded him into a spot between her and the purple-haired teen. 

“She’s wrong,” Evie said simply, cradling Chad’s hands in her own. “Whatever she said, she was wrong. She’s just jealous.”

“Just…” Chad ducked his head, his throat feeling a bit thick. “It feels like she’d kind of right.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Mal groaned. “You’re _shy_ , that doesn’t mean you don’t have a personality. Just because you’re not yelling at everyone and bossing them around doesn’t mean you don’t count. You’re quiet and sweet and… Evie, you take over.”

“You’re thoughtful,” Evie said, squeezing his fingers until Chad looked up at her. “You’re supportive. You’re patient. Those might not be in-your-face personality traits, but it doesn’t mean they’re unimportant.”

“What she said,” Mal finished with a nod. “Now forget that dumb fuck and focus on the rest of lunch – Jay was just getting to part two of his dissertation as to why Carlos should do his math homework.”

“He shouldn’t,” Chad said, furrowing his brows in concern.

“This was the common consensus,” Evie said over Jay’s groan. “But you have to admire his tenacity.”

“I don’t,” Carlos grumbled before turning his attention back to his own homework.

After that, Chad actually got to have a _talking_ lunch for the first time, and it was enough to distract him from the stares that definitely lingered, from Ben’s worried looks and Audrey’s murderous glares, because those weren’t important.

What mattered was Evie and Mal, and Chad had both of them right here. So that was what he held onto.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“Do you like Ben?” Evie asked out of the blue one day when Chad was coaching Jay through his math homework – not that he was very good at Algebra but like, he was still better than _Jay_.

“Um… yes?” Chad hazarded, wondering if this was a trick question. “He’s Ben. Of course I like Ben.”

“She means, like- _you know_ ,” Jay said, wagging his brows in a manner that was likely suggestive, if only Chad knew what he was suggesting.

“I also like his eyebrows,” Chad tried. 

Jay slumped his head back in despair, so obviously Chad’s guess had been wrong. 

“Are you attracted to him?” Evie clarified. “You know, _physically_.”

“Um.” Chad did not like that question, because it required him to look into his and Ben’s non-existent relationship and that was a thing he did not ever want to do. “I try not to think about Ben too much.”

“ _If only he reciprocated_ ,” Carlos murmured from his position hunched over his desk.

Mal chucked a ball of crumpled up paper at the young De Ville’s head. “You guys need to focus,” she drawled. “Forget Ben, we have to do something about Audrey.”

“We do?” Chad asked, trying to share a confused look with Jay, only the Agraben teen was nodding in agreement. 

Mal shot him a look that was her approximation of patient. “She tried to attack what’s mine. Countermeasures must be taken.”

Jay leaned closer to Chad, lowering his voice to a soft whisper. “Before you ask, _you’re_ what’s hers. And yes, you are hers.”

“Oh.” Chad blinked, feeling his cheeks fill with warmth. “Um…”

“Yeah.” Jay grinned. “It’s a pretty good feeling.”

“I think I have an idea,” Evie hummed, flipping through the battered spell book Mal had brought over from the Isle that she never let anyone else read. Anyone aside from Evie, that was, but they had both agreed that Evie was a special exception to many rules.

She passed the book over to Mal, indicating a specific page, and waited for the purple-haired teen’s judgement.

She got it by way of a wicked smile. “Yeah,” Mal said. “I think this will work.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jay told Chad just when he was starting to wonder if he should ask or not. “They get like this.”

“Huh,” Chad said, tapping his pencil against the desk. “Neat.”

And that was all that needed to be said about that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t… I don’t remember where this story concept came from. I had plans for a secret Mal/Chad epic that sort of petered out and got funneled into other projects, but I liked what I had for this story enough that I rounded it out and decided to post it as a two-shot.
> 
> So I give you Mal vetting Chad because what Evie wants, Mal tries to make sure she gets, though she honestly didn’t intend to grow as attached to this random blond prince as she ultimately did. But there’s the rub, isn’t it? No one’s prepared for Chad, lol ;)
> 
> This story will consist of 2 chapters of story content and 1 chapter of deleted scenes. The deleted scenes will be posted along with chapter 2. As always, please let me know if I missed something in the tags. I prefer to ere on the side of caution with these things, but when you stare at something for long enough, it can be easy to lose the details :)
> 
> I update once a week, generally on Sundays, but because things have been so crazy lately, I decided to make an effort to update twice a week. So there will be one update on Sunday and one update on Wednesday/Thursday for now :D 
> 
> Just a heads up – I update the story tags as I go in order to avoid spoilers. So characters, pairings, content warnings – all will be updated in correlation to the appropriate chapter as they are posted. 
> 
> Story notes:
> 
> I’ll just say this now, and it will be evident more next chapter – but the VKs as a whole are not great with boundaries at this point. Like, it all turns out for the best anyway and no one’s hurt, but they’re still adjusting to what is considered entirely right and wrong. That’s something they get better at in my other stories, but this is just a short two-shot so they’re not really there yet. I’ll do my best to give appropriate warnings as needed, but I just wanted to give that extra heads up to be safe. 
> 
> In this universe, we’re going to pretend that Chad never gave Evie his number or whatever the hell was on that card, and that they like, met in passing organically outside of chemistry class.
> 
> Yes, even in my short stories, we gotta talk about that Isle reform, apparently. I just can’t help it, it’s in my blood.
> 
> And like, story-wise, once Mal found out that Chad was Cinderella’s kid she would probably ask him about the wand, but let’s all just pretend she was distracted by the enigma that is this version of Chad.
> 
> Hanover is my name for Snow White’s kingdom, because Charmington is just- no.
> 
> Central Auradon is King Adam’s kingdom in specific, not the unification of kingdoms, and Sardinia is my name for Chad’s kingdom instead of Cinderellasburg – both stories are based in France, which is why their language is French.
> 
> Until next time :)


	2. Cool Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GENERAL WARNING – Dubious Consent in the second scene – All parties are interested and onboard, but there is a distinct lack of communication mostly due to the VKs not understanding those particular boundaries yet. 
> 
> WARNING – Dubious consent in the 7th (second to last) scene. See endnotes for more details.

Chad didn’t know what was happening.

Which was most of his life, but especially in that moment, he didn’t know what was happening. 

They had won the Tourney game – mostly thanks to Jay because if Chad was being honest, the rest of the team was only okay – and he’d gone into the stands to celebrate with his girlfriend because that was a thing he could do now. Evie didn’t even mind that Chad was sweaty and gross, and Mal seemed to think his appearance was more funny than off-putting, so she’d ruffled his sweaty hair while Evie cooed about what a good job he’d done guarding Carlos, and everything seemed pretty okay.

And then Ben was singing. 

Which was not a thing Ben did regularly, Chad was pretty sure. 

But there he was, singing his heart out, to um… Chad. 

So. 

That was a thing.

“Um…” Chad said while Ben was going on about how his love for Chad was _ridiculous_ , which sort of hurt in new and inventive ways. “I don’t know what’s happening.”

Evie, who did not seem at all upset by this turn of events, merely clapped her hands together in time with the song. “I dunno, I think it’s kind of sweet.”

“But where is it coming from?” Chad asked. “I never talk to Ben. I don’t think he understands how love works.”

Mal placed a comforting hand on Chad’s shoulder. “Just sit back and enjoy the ride, blondie.”

He guessed he could sort of appreciate the way the rest of the Tourney team seemed to have broken out into a choreographed dance. Maybe they’d practiced beforehand? Jay and Carlos were even helping.

“Oh, wow,” Chad said as Ben began riding the horse mascot that was definitely two dudes in a costume that Chad hoped weren’t getting back problems. “They even got the cheerleaders involved.”

“ _Audrey’s_ cheerleaders,” Mal cackled, sharing a mirthful look with Evie.

“Are you sure this isn’t a prank?” Chad asked when Ben began crowd surfing, which was pretty cool and also an excessive show of faith that he wouldn’t get dropped. Chad guessed no one would want to drop the future king of Auradon though, so maybe that faith was well founded.

“Ben seem like a pranking guy to you?” Mal prompted, both brows raised in challenge.

“I dunno,” Chad admitted. “I thought not, but that would make more sense than him suddenly being in love with me.”

“Maybe it’s not sudden,” Evie said, cradling Ben’s sweaty Tourney jersey in her hands because Chad hadn’t known what to do with it. 

“Chad Charming,” Ben said when he finally got next to them in the stands, smile so wide it was sort of manic. “Will you go to coronation with me?”

“I have a girlfriend, Ben,” Chad said, because he didn’t know what else he could say. “…and my last name’s James.”

Chad hated that ‘charming’ nickname. It was the worst.

Ben’s expression fell for a second, but then he recovered. “Right. Obviously, I knew that. I meant to invite both of you.”

Chad did not know they were allowed to take two dates to coronation, otherwise he would have definitely asked Mal. She might have even said yes. 

“Um…” Chad shared a look with Evie, but she was still smiling. “Do you want to go to coronation with Ben?”

“That could be fun,” Evie admitted. “And he went through all that trouble.”

Chad supposed she had a point.

“Okay,” Chad said, shrugging his shoulders. “We’ll go with you.”

“Awesome!” Ben cheered, and then he just sort of… crowd surfed away. So.

“I’m gonna go get cleaned up,” Chad decided. “And then I’ll take you to that diner I told you about?”

“This is acceptable,” Mal decided, and Mal was the boss, so that meant it was good. “I want to try these _chili cheese fries_ you told me about.”

Chad brightened up. “You’ll like them. And they have strawberry milkshakes.”

“My thoughtful boy,” Evie said, and then she leaned over to kiss Chad on the cheek, making him flush down to his toes because she’d done that in _public_. 

“Hey Audrey!” Mal called, waving the lead cheerleader down. “Still think Chad has no personality?!”

The princess of Auroria didn’t deign to respond, merely stomping away in a frustrated huff of someone who must have been recently dumped. There was no way Ben would have done all that without breaking up with her first. 

No wonder Audrey had been in such a terrible mood lately.

“Mal,” Chad sighed. “Be nice.”

“I am nice,” Mal sniffed. “I’m so nice, I’m _ice_.”

“Okay, now,” Evie said, moving past Chad so she could wrap an arm around Mal’s shoulders. “Someone’s getting a little high on victory.”

“To be fair,” Chad said. “Jay and Carlos did a really good job.”

“Right.” Evie nodded. “Mal’s just… really feeling her school spirit, right now.”

Mal’s only response was to cackle.

Lonnie, who to this point had been entirely silent, seemed to blink out of her surprised stupor. “What just happened?”

“Man,” Chad sighed. “I don’t know.”

So it was just business as usual then.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“Mal, Mal, Mal, Mal, _Mal_ ,” Chad chanted as he climbed into her window, because he too could be a sneaky snake. He knew the purple-haired teen was alone because Evie was doing a fashion consultation with Princess Ruby for her coronation dress, which meant this was the perfect time for Chad to freak out. “ _Mal_.”

“What?” Mal asked, tossing her sketchbook aside and crossing to the window with an annoyed look. “What’s wrong?”

“Ben asked us on a date,” Chad gasped, the words coming in a rush. “He’s going to take me and Evie on a _date_.”

“And?” Mal prompted. “Isn’t that to be expected, since he loves you and all that?”

“It’s just…” Chad felt himself blushing. “What if- what if he wants us to _kiss_ him? I’ve never kissed a dude before, is it different than kissing you?”

For a moment, Mal just stared at him, her face perfectly unreadable. 

And then she sighed. “Hold on,” she said, pulling out the phone Chad had convinced Fairy Godmother to procure for the Isle students, because for whatever reason no one had thought they’d need to communicate with each other or, you know, their friends.

Five minutes later, Jay crawled in through the window. “You texted?” he said, opting for that that weird mock-flirtation he used sometimes, though it dimmed a little when he saw Chad. 

“We need your help,” Mal said as she closed the window behind him, pulling the curtains shut. “But if you help, it’s a secret. As in a _between us_ secret. No one else knows. Not even Carlos or Evie – got it?”

Jay paused, his weird expression traded out for one of thoughtful consideration. “This must be some really heavy shit then.”

“Trust me,” Mal huffed. “It isn’t. Now, are you in or out?”

“You know I’m always in, _baby_ ,” Jay said, sliding back into his usual easy charisma that had Mal rolling her eyes.

“Whatever,” she said. “You’re here because Chad needs to know what it’s like to kiss a guy, and you have kissed guys before.”

“ _Carlos_ ,” Jay corrected. “I have kissed Carlos.”

Wow, Chad was learning so much about his new friends. If Jay liked Carlos though, Chad wondered why he flirted with girls so much.

“Who is a _guy_ , last I checked,” Mal drawled. “Now get over there and pucker up.”

“ _Um_.” Chad could feel himself blushing horribly under the weight of Jay’s stare. “You uh… don’t have to if you don’t want to-”

“So you do want to?” Jay pressed, and then he was just sort of prowling, sliding into Chad’s personal space before he could really freak out about it. 

Chad was used to being close to Mal, who was slight and short and so very pretty. Jay was different, striking in his own way and _tall_ , broad and muscular, about Chad’s size, and when he got close it was his hands that fell to Chad’s hips, not the other way around.

“If um- you don’t mind,” Chad stuttered. “I um…”

Apparently, Jay did not need much more of an invitation than that, because in the next moment he was kissing Chad. Which was how Chad learned that kissing a dude was _sort_ of like kissing a girl, only Jay seemed just as determined to claim Chad’s lips as Mal was, one hand moving to angle Chad’s jaw so the kisses would deepen. 

Chad found himself whimpering under the intensity, because Jay kept dragging him _closer_ , until Chad was desperately clinging to him, wanting to absorb all of his affection.

Between one moment and the next, Chad found himself pressed against Evie’s bed, and then Jay was easing a hand _under_ his shirt, licking into Chad’s mouth with relish.

“ _Hey_ ,” Mal chided, because Mal was still there, Mal was watching. “I said kissing practice, you horndog.”

“He’s um- going to need to get used to this too,” Jay said, licking a stripe against Chad’s neck as he continued to pet the blond’s stomach. “Seeing how enthusiastic _Benjamin_ is.”

“He’d better not,” Mal growled, and Chad wasn’t sure who she was referring to until the small artist drifted into his line of view again, her eyes glowing a steady green. “Chad, you follow Evie’s lead for everything, okay? Don’t let Ben push for too much too quickly. Make him _work_ for it.”

“I um- I don’t think Ben’s going to um- want to do this much- _Jay-_ ” Chad whined, because the other teen’s hand had gone even higher, until he was playing with Chad’s _nipples_.

Chad did not know that was a thing he would like, but apparently it was a thing he very much liked indeed. 

“ _Jadir_ ,” Mal growled, her voice dropping into something that didn’t sound entirely human. Because she wasn’t entirely human. 

Jay seemed unconcerned. “Come on,” he groaned, pulling away from Chad with a pout. “I have to stare at him in the locker room all the time-”

“He’s mine _first_ ,” Mal hissed. “If anyone’s going to play with him-”

“Then _do it_ ,” Jay said, and that was how Chad found himself getting dragged into Jay’s lap, his back against the other teen’s chest while Mal stared at him with relish, her gaze just as possessive as Evie said it was. 

“Kiss,” Mal ordered, easing Chad’s shirt up his torso until it bundled under his armpits. 

“Gladly,” Jay said, and then he was turning Chad’s head, angling him so they could trade enthusiastic kisses again while Mal-

She kept pinching and teasing at Chad’s nipples, which was distracting. It left him whimpering into Jay’s mouth, spilling random gasps despite himself, only Jay didn’t seem to mind, the Agraben teen smirking into their kisses while Chad shivered and shook. 

There was a half second when Mal’s fingers left him, and then then that was her _mouth_ against his chest, sharp teeth nipping at him and her pretty full lips and wicked tongue and-

Chad’s brain felt like it was melting, he could scarcely comprehend it, and it was sort of worse that he was painfully aroused now, unable to hide how the pointed attention was affecting him. 

“Oh yeah,” Jay huffed against Chad’s neck, one hand sliding from the blond’s hip to _undo his pants_. “Feeling good, blondie?”

“Y-Yes- _Jay_.” Chad’s chest heaved with exertion, his breath coming in short gasps because Jay was easing a hand _into his underwear_ , wrapping it around Chad directly and that was a hand on his dick. There was a hand on his dick and Jay had done it on purpose, was touching-

“ _Hey_ ,” Mal snarled, pulling away from Chad with a feral look. “What did I say?”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t touched him yet,” Jay huffed, pressing kisses against Chad’s neck. “You haven’t felt this? Because he feels fucking great, let me tell you. Bet he looks great too.”

“We’ll see about that,” Mal snapped, and then she was pushing Chad’s clothes out of the way until they were both staring at Chad’s genitals like they were anything special.

“Yesss,” Jay said, giving Chad a slow pump. “Knew it’d be pretty. Can you imagine rutting him and Carlos together?”

“ _Focus_ ,” Mal hissed, her hand joining the fray, making Chad mewl. He um- he may have wanted Mal to touch him like this for a while but he was a _gentleman_ and gentlemen did not ask for more when they were already receiving a great generosity. 

“Yeah, sweetheart,” Jay urged into Chad’s ear, nipping at his lobe. “Just like that. We want you to paint that pretty sweater.”

“Can you feel how hard Jay is?” Mal murmured, her expression almost feral. “Bet he’s so wet for you. Can’t believe how much he’s been begging Evie to share you once I finally gave you the all-clear.”

“ _Mal_ ,” Jay groaned, but he also rutted up against Chad, brushing a certain firmness against Chad’s _butt_ -

“Even Carlos wants a piece,” Mal hummed. “Though he’ll never say it.”

“M-Mal,” Chad huffed, because this was a lot, and he didn’t know if they were just doing sexy talk or if she was actually telling the truth and if she _was_ telling the truth, Chad couldn’t help but wonder how he’d missed all this.

“Relax, baby,” Mal ordered, pulling him into another kiss. “You just focus on feeling good.”

Since that was about all Chad could do, he gratefully gave into it. 

It was easy to get lost in the overwhelming presence of Jay and Mal, get lost to their attention and their kisses, until he knew he was close to falling apart. They did nothing but encourage him the entire time, Jay continuing to rut up into Chad as he pumped that hand between his legs, groaning in time with Mal’s growls, until they hit a noisy, lovely crescendo. 

Chad’s release didn’t catch him off guard, but the way both of them helped him through it did. They didn’t seem to mind the mess, in fact Mal seemed to relish it, licking the slick off her fingers with a pleased smirk that had Jay groaning. 

“You’re killing me, Bertha,” Jay whined, giving the oversensitive flesh between Chad’s legs a slow pump. 

“Such a baby,” Mal drawled, her voice thick with amusement. “Hurry up and get that shirt off him. Despite your wishes, we can’t actually send him back to his room like that.”

“And what a damn shame that is,” Jay murmured into Chad’s neck.

“Is it?” Evie’s voice said, because Evie was there, standing in the entryway of the room with an unreadable expression. 

All three of them froze, Chad’s breath catching because this was a horrible scene to walk into, especially considering the fact that these practice sessions were supposed to be a secret.

“…shit,” Jay said, slumping against Chad’s shoulder.

“Whose idea was this?” Evie asked, pushing further into the room with a slow sway of her hips.

“Um…” Chad spoke up. “I-”

“Shut up, it wasn’t _you_ ,” Mal hissed, running a quick hand through her hair. “It was me.”

“Yeah,” Jay said, didn’t even like try to take the blame. “In case you were wondering how Mal built Chad’s confidence, it was through kisses.”

“ _Um_.” Chad felt his blush spread down to his chest. “I… I was worried-”

“And she liked it,” Jay continued. “So she didn’t want you to know about it.”

“ _Shut up_ ,” Mal hissed, shooting Jay a dirty look. “You liked it too.”

“So both of you have kissed my boyfriend before I have,” Evie summarized, drawing up to the edge of the bed with an unimpressed look. “What’s mine might be yours, Mal, but you have to _ask_ first.”

“Again,” Jay said. “She did not expect to like sweet prince kisses, so she was embarrassed-”

“Fuck _off_ , Jay,” Mal spat and that was… Chad was very confused.

Chad decided to speak up, doing his best to keep his composure despite the fact that his genitals were still on display and his sweater was ruined with bursts of his own slick. “I um… was worried about what would happen if Ben wanted to kiss me, because I’ve never kissed a guy before-”

“And Mal graciously volunteered Jay’s services,” Evie deduced. “And volunteered her own for what it would be like to kiss a girl, I’m guessing.”

Chad nodded slowly.

For a moment, no one said anything. 

Then Evie sighed.

“A debt is owed,” she declared. “Obviously. But I don’t mind sharing, so long as I _know_ about it.”

“…sorry,” Mal said after a few moments, looking abashed in a way she never did.

It boggled Chad’s mind.

“Apology accepted.” Evie grinned, and then she was leaning over and-

Oh. She and Mal were kissing. Which was fine, obviously, because Chad had kissed Mal so he couldn’t exactly be mad at _Evie_ kissing her and also it um- was a very pretty picture, so…

“Huh,” Jay mused, sort of lazily nuzzling Chad’s shoulder. “Carlos is going to be mad he missed this.”

“Yeah,” Mal said when Evie pulled away. “That’s something you get to deal with.”

“That’s something you should do now,” Evie advised. “And in the meantime, Mal and Chad are going to give me apology kisses.”

“Yes, that is- we can do that,” Chad said, feeling a little off-kilter.

As it turned out, with the appropriate amount of practice, kissing Evie wasn’t actually scary at all. In fact, he found that he liked it a lot. 

-:-:-:-:-:-

“Okay, are you guys ready?” Ben chirped, sort of dancing down the path in front of them, turning periodically to give them a bright smile. “You’re going to love this place, Chad. And you too, Evie. It was my very favorite place to visit growing up, because it’s so pretty and isolated and special, and _you_ both are special and pretty so this seemed appropriate-”

“ _Ben_ ,” Chad groaned, hiding his face in his hands the way he had every other time the king-to-be had gotten a bit excessive with his compliments. “Seriously, you don’t have to butter us up. We both already like you.”

“I’m not buttering you up,” Ben said, a pout tugging at his lips as though he was wounded by this accusation. “I _want_ to compliment you both because you’re amazing.”

“Yeah, but…” Chad shifted his weight awkwardly, trying not to stare at the ground because that was unprincely. “You’ve never done that before.” Chad deliberated for a moment, chewing on his bottom lip even though Evie had assured him multiple times that Ben really _did_ like him. “I didn’t even know you were attracted to me, or anything. And Audrey-”

“Yeah.” Ben winced, sighing heavily. “Dating Audrey made my parents happy, but I couldn’t- I can’t _live_ like that and I don’t want to. And maybe… maybe I’ve been bottling up the way I feel inside, and it kept building and building until it finally exploded out in a giant song and dance routine.”

“With cheerleaders,” Evie hummed. “And crowd surfing.”

Ben lit up with a brilliant smile, as though grateful that someone had noticed his dedication, when it would have been impossible to even think of ignoring it. “Right! Thank you.”

“So…” Chad was still struggling to understand, though that wasn’t terribly surprising, because he was kind of dumb. “You’ve liked me this whole time?”

“Yes!” Ben burst, swooping in to – oh, now he was lifting Chad, spinning him in an exuberant circle. For such a thin guy, he sure was strong. Maybe it was a beast thing coming into play. “I have! And it’s been killing me because you kept turning down all those girls.” 

Chad felt his cheeks heat with embarrassment. “I mean-”

“I know you were insecure _now_ ,” Ben declared, nuzzling Chad’s shoulder sort of like a cat. Like a big, intellectual cat. “But I didn’t then, and it was _killing_ me.”

“How much?” Evie teased as she coaxed them down the path, Ben gladly taking his cue to slip in between them, wrapping an arm around both Chad and Evie’s waists. “How much was it killing you, Ben? Did you ever do anything drastic?”

“Probably,” Ben admitted with a flush. “I always lingered after Tourney practice so we could change together, and I kept hoping maybe he’d, you know, check me out like at least _once_.”

“ _Ben_ ,” Chad groaned, hiding his face again. “I couldn’t do that; I didn’t want to be a weirdo.”

Or like, rude. Most people thought he was a weirdo when they got to know him, and he hadn’t wanted the other princes to think that. He’d wanted to be cool for like, a moment, and he couldn’t do that if he was checking out the other guys that sometimes gave him weird feelings but _not_ because he was looking at them. 

“Do you think I’m a weirdo?” Ben asked, his voice filled with a deceptive sort of innocence. “For checking you out?”

“No, of course not.” Chad shook his head roughly. “You’re Ben-”

“And you’re _Chad_ ,” Evie reminded him gently, and when the two of them looked at him with such concerned gazes, it was easy to make Chad shake, because he was so very unused to it. “Why should Ben get a free pass and not you?”

“Because…” Chad swallowed, feeling small.

Evie pulled to a stop, and then she was moving so that Chad was cradled between her and Ben. “Forget everything Audrey has ever said to you,” Evie ordered in a low voice. “You’re not needy or weak or bland.”

“ _No_ ,” Ben rushed to add. “You’re not less, Chad, and you definitely shouldn’t be judged more harshly just because you’re not me.”

Chad felt himself blushing. “It’s just-”

“Forget the charming thing,” Evie pressed. “You _are_ charming – in your own, quiet way. And checking out guys would not make you less so.”

“Though it is sort of sweet that you respect our privacy enough not to do it,” Ben said, keeping his grin nice and gentle. “Chad… I’m sorry I’ve left you alone to flounder all these years. I’m sorry I’ve been watching from afar when you’ve been struggling to get by. If I had thought for a second you didn’t know how wonderful and sweet you were, I would have spent every day reminding you of it, just so you could know it without a doubt.”

“You could still do that,” Evie offered, sharing a conspiratorial look with Ben. “It will make him blush.”

“He _does_ look very cute when he’s blushing,” Ben said, leaning in to observe Chad do just that with a grin that could only be considered ‘victorious’. “Not that you aren’t cute all the time-”

“ _Ben._ ”

“Chad,” the prince interrupted with bright ruthlessness. “Let Evie and I pamper you. We _want_ to.”

“And we’ll keep reminding you of that every day until you believe it,” Evie added with a smirk.

“…it might take a while,” Chad admitted, wanting to be honest with them because frankly, it all seemed too good to be true. The one princess who had called his bluff and a prince that had apparently had a crush on Chad this entire time, and not just any prince, but _the_ prince above all princes. 

“That’s okay,” Ben said, squeezing Chad’s side. “Good things take time.”

And he even said it without irony, which made Chad inclined to think it was true.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“Here it is,” Ben said when they arrived at their destination, spreading his arms out wide in a dramatic sort of reveal. “Let me introduce you to the Enchanted Lake!”

“Oh, _wow_ ,” Evie said, staring at the clear waters with open appreciation. “It’s beautiful, Ben.”

“ _And_ a great swimming spot,” Ben said, jogging back to meet them so he could curl himself around their shoulders in another show of stubbornness. “I was thinking we could play in the water some and then maybe have a picnic?”

“Um…” Evie shifted her weight in the first show of uncertainty Chad had seen from her. “I um… don’t know how to swim.”

“Oh.” Ben blinked as though he hadn’t expected this, but the barrier seemed to go around most of the water on the Isle, so Chad wasn’t sure why. “Chad?”

“I almost drowned in a lake when I was little,” Chad admitted with a flush. “I wandered away from my nannies and was trying to… adventure, I guess.” That was when he’d been pretty much locked in the library, his minders determined to keep him to less-hazardous pursuits. “…still a bit afraid of them, if I’m being honest.”

It was a stupid fear, but most fears were, so.

“Wow,” Ben said, seeming to marvel at his own ideas. “I did not think this out at all.”

“You could swim,” Evie offered. “Chad and I could watch.”

“Nah.” Ben shook his head, rediscovering his smile. “We’ll just picnic and cuddle Chad.”

“Yes.” Evie grinned. “That sounds like a perfect compromise.”

“You two are embarrassing,” Chad declared, trying to duck his head and getting intercepted by not one, but two hands – Evie and Ben determined to keep his head high.

“For you,” Evie hummed. “Gladly.”

“What she said,” Ben chirped, and then he was dragging them towards the picnic blanket that was already spread out, explaining all the foods he had packed and complimenting Evie on the shirt she’d made for Chad and everything was strangely good and wonderful for once.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“So?” Mal pounced on them the moment Ben had dropped Chad and Evie off at her dorm room, Jay and Carlos lingering in the background, likely trying to pretend they were there by happenstance and not because they wanted fresh gossip. “How did it go?”

“Well, I think,” Chad replied honestly, feeling relieved when Evie shot him a thumbs up. “Ben kissed our hands, but not our lips.”

“We cuddled,” Evie reported. “But Ben did not get frisky.”

“Good boy,” Mal said, her eyes shining with approval. “And did you two have fun?”

“Oh, yeah,” Chad said, cheeks heating with pleased embarrassment because he was Mal’s, because Mal _cared_ about his emotional wellbeing and that was a very nice thing. “Thanks, Mal.”

“Yeah,” Evie said, wrapping an arm around Chad’s waist and pressing a kiss against his cheek. “Thanks, Mal. You’re the best for arranging this.”

“I thought Ben arranged the date,” Chad said, a little confused.

Evie’s eyes shined a little brighter, somehow. Or figuratively. It was probably figurative. “Mal made some suggestions,” she explained, and then she kissed him on the _lips_ , which-

Yes, still very nice.

“Hey,” Jay rumbled from his ‘casual’ sprawl against the couch. “Am I gonna get a turn, or what?”

“That depends,” Evie sniffed, her tone going from fond to cool in under a second. “Is _that_ how you’re going to ask?”

From his spot perched on the couch, Carlos stifled an amused laugh, and Jay’s shoulders slumped in proper chastisement.

“Of course not, Evie,” Jay said, his confident swagger melting into something more gentle when he approached. “May I um… kiss you two?” After a moment, he added, “Please?”

“I dunno,” Evie hummed. “Mal?”

Mal made a show of considering this, though even Chad was pretty sure he knew what her answer would be. “If Evie and Chad are okay with it, you may be used for their pleasure.”

“I’m good with that,” Jay said before he fell to his knees, looking up at them with beseeching eyes. “So, may I…?”

“Um…” Chad shared a look with Evie. “What about Ben?”

The other four froze. Even Carlos, who was mostly hidden by the back of the couch.

“…what?” Evie asked, seeming confused by how they had gotten to this point.

“I mean-” Chad felt his blush darken. “Since we’re um- dating him. I mean, he’s not- is he our boyfriend? I don’t think you’re supposed to kiss people you’re not dating without like, everyone knowing.”

There was a heavy moment of silence that made Chad think that maybe this wasn’t the case at all.

And then Jay looked considerate. “Do you think Ben would go for it?”

“I mean…” Mal hummed. “He’s going for Evie. That’s a foot in the door.”

“ _Chad’s_ the foot in the door,” Evie said. “Anything else would be pushing it.”

“I’m not-” Chad felt so hot he thought he might pass out. “I’m not saying Ben should um- _join us_. But he should probably know, right?”

There was a very tense silence, and then Mal sighed.

“ _Fine_ ,” she huffed. “But let me read through my book for a backup plan in case we need to discover a better way to _inform_ him of our arrangement.”

“You’re so smart, Mal,” Chad said, feeling at once both relieved and in awe. “Thanks for looking out for us.”

“Stop being _sweet_ ,” Mal grumbled, but she was blushing which meant Evie was smiling, which in turn made _Chad_ smile because it was indeed a nice blush.

“So what I’m getting from this is that kissing is not happening right now,” Jay said, his lips tugging down in a pout.

“Go mack on Carlos if you want it that badly,” Mal ordered, detouring from her absent perusal of the room so she could kick his leg. “We all know he’s just playing hard to get.”

Behind the couch, Carlos sputtered. “I am _not_.”

“Yeah, like you wouldn’t have left the moment kissing was mentioned if you weren’t interested,” Mal said, rolling her eyes. “Stop using that laptop to hide your boner and let Jay suck you off.”

“Carlos, you _dog_ ,” Jay laughed, and then he was jumping over the back of the couch, making the young De Ville startle and then drop off into a very telling _moan_. 

“Um,” Chad said, his cheeks pink. “Maybe I’ll um- go back to my room.”

“I’ll come with you,” Evie declared, tangling her fingers with his. “We can have our own kissing practice and then I’ll interrogate Doug about Hanover.”

“Oh.” Chad brightened up with a grin, happy with the prospect of a plan. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

“Go, my minions,” Mal ordered over Carlos’ loud whine. “Go forth and harass young Douglass.”

“It is a discussion, Mal, not harassment,” Chad insisted, tugging his girlfriend out of her dorm room because that was a thing he could do now.

What a life he lived.

“Sure!” Mal offered after him. “If that’s what you want to call it!”

Evie’s giggles carried them all the way down the hall. “I’m glad Mal decided to claim you.”

“Yeah,” Chad agreed. “Me too.”

-:-:-:-:-:-

“I don’t understand,” Ben said finally after Mal had explained everything to him, the other prince looking helplessly confused as he visibly reevaluated Chad and the transfer students from their scattered positions around Mal and Evie’s room.

“It’s simple,” Mal said, setting her hands on her hips with a weary sigh. “Jay, Evie, Carlos, and Chad are mine. I claimed them. By Isle standards, it means they are under my protection, but it also means that I am allowed to dote and reward them, and they are allowed to dote and reward each other however they see fit.”

“So…” Chad could _see_ Ben really try to struggle through this properly, desperate to get things right. “You’ve been kissing Chad?”

Mal tensed with an obvious displeasure. “Chad is _mine_ ,” she reiterated. “I claimed him. That means I look after his wellbeing, both physically and- you know, mentally. And if that involves kissing sometimes, that is our business, because he’s part of my crew.”

Ben didn’t say anything for another long beat, and then he turned to Evie. “You knew about this?”

“Of course,” Evie dismissed, even though she definitely hadn’t known about it in the beginning. “Mal also claimed me.”

“The _point_ is,” Mal cut in, a pleased sort of flush spilling across her cheeks – latent pride that she had so many nice things and Chad was one of them. “You’re going to have to learn to share. That’s all.”

Ben considered this, frowning, then turned to Chad. “Is this what you want?”

“ _Um_.” Chad was still unaccustomed to having this much focus aimed at him. “I like being Mal’s,” he said, honestly. “She’s the first person to ever claim me. I um… I like being taken care of by her, and I like helping her and…” He ducked his head, feeling bashful. “I also like kissing her. She’s the one who taught me how.”

At that, Ben let out a small whine. “ _I_ would have taught you,” he pressed, eyes wide and imploring. “If you’d wanted-”

Chad’s blush managed to darken exponentially. “But I didn’t know that and I- I like this, what I have with them. And if you’re not okay with that, then I’m sorry, but I’m not- I don’t want to give that up, even if it’s weird and different.”

Immediately, Ben’s gaze softened, his expression shifting from confusion to one of utter fondness that Chad couldn’t predict the reasoning for. “It _is_ different, Chad,” Ben admitted, his voice gentle. “But really, it’s special, so I’m not surprised by it. Of course you found something as special as you are.”

“ _Ben_ ,” Chad groaned, only Evie _and_ Jay intercepted Chad’s hands so he couldn’t hide how embarrassed he was.

That made Ben perk up in something like satisfaction. “Oh,” he said, his eyes glazing over. “Yeah, that’s… I’m beginning to see the benefits of this.”

“Good,” Mal hummed. “So long as we’re all in agreement.”

“Yes,” Ben said, nodding quickly. “Now um- if it’s okay with everyone, I would like to kiss Chad and Evie, please.”

“ _Just_ kissing,” Mal said. “And you have to check in with them every step of the way for anything else. And if you even _think_ of taking any of their clothes off-”

“Mal,” Chad whined while Evie echoed the sentiment, her tone seemingly more despairing.

“I am the boss,” Mal reminded them with a sniff. “These are my rules. Take them or leave them.”

“I’ll take them,” Ben chirped, and then he was shyly guiding Chad and Evie over to the couch, leaning forward to trade chaste kisses, and while it was different from kissing Jay, Chad found that it was still, in fact, quite good.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Kissing Ben was about as good as kissing Jay, except Ben – while being equally intense – was a lot sweeter, enthusiastic but definitely gentle, and always sure to give Chad and Evie the same amount of attention while checking in on them with hopeful eyes.

“You can watch, if you want,” Mal offered when Ben would follow Chad back from Tourney practice, the brunette’s gaze shifting into one of distinct interest while Jay made out with a whimpering Carlos across the room.

“Is that what you guys generally do?” Ben asked, seeming both intrigued and flushed by this prospect.

“If we’re feeling up to it,” Mal said. “Usually, we are.”

To answer the unspoken question, Jay offered a thumbs up, pulling back to nuzzle Carlos’ shoulder until he could provide his own tentative response. Still, it was two green lights at the end of the day, which Ben seemed intrigued by.

“Then um- yes,” Ben said, his hand curling around Chad’s. “I would like that very much.”

He ended up cradling Chad in his lap, trading kisses with him while they watched Jay sneak a hand into Carlos’ shorts, jerking the young De Ville off while Mal carded her fingers through black and white curls, Carlos whimpering all the while.

“Oh,” Ben said when it was over, his pupils seeming to dilate. “ _Oh_.”

“Yeah,” Mal said, seeming to puff up with pride. “It’s a good show.”

And it was obviously one Ben liked because he kept coming back for more, though he was always sure to cuddle Evie or Chad or both of them when Mal allowed it.

“Sorry,” the brunette prince offered one day with a flush, seeming embarrassed. “It’s not that you aren’t enough, because you _definitely_ are, but I see you together and my beast thinks _pack_ and that- it makes me feel settled, is all.”

“Aw, Ben,” Chad said, his fond grins coming easier as he slowly but surely came to the understanding that he could probably keep this. “We’re happy we can help, seeing as you make us feel good too, so…”

“ _Chad_ ,” Ben rumbled before leaning forward and capturing the blond’s lips with a pleased sounding growl.

It got to the point where Ben would watch Chad and Evie make out with the others, Mal boxing Evie against the bed or Jay trying to coax Chad and Carlos through something which was always slow and fumbling because they were both awkward bananas, but then Ben would _growl_ and pull Chad into his lap, Jay doing the same with Carlos until the two of them could ease Chad and the young De Ville together, grinning at their flushed expressions.

“Just like that,” Ben soothed, cupping Carlos’s cheek while he pressed kisses to Chad’s neck. “You’re doing a great job, sweetheart.”

“ _Fuck_ ,” Carlos murmured, shivering into Ben’s hand, and then Jay would pile on with compliments like the opportunist he was.

“I have decided to allow you to play with my other claims,” Mal declared out of the blue one day, making Ben’s gaze go wide. “But you will be _careful_ , Ben, do you understand?”

“I do,” Ben said, wearing a grateful expression before he zeroed in on Jay, who tried to play it suave and cool for about three seconds before Ben was working a hand between his legs – and sure, Chad had done that with Ben a few times himself by this point, but it was different to see _Jay_ as the one pinned under Ben’s wiry frame, Jay gasping and flushed and eagerly rutting into Ben’s hand.

“ _Yes_ ,” Mal declared with a pleased hiss while she wrapped herself around Chad’s back, her gaze split between them and where Evie was pleasuring Carlos on the couch. “This is perfect.”

“You know,” Chad began between gasps, smile pulling wide in a reflexive show of happiness he couldn’t contain if he tried. “I can’t help but agree.”

Mal loosed an appreciative rumble before claiming his lips, and just like every other time they did this, Chad surrendered, feeling something akin to coming home.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Things were going well – Evie was designing them outfits for coronation and Jay had qualified for the Swords and Shields team next semester and Carlos was testing up a full grade now that he had gotten into the groove of Auradon schooling – when Chad came upon an odd sight in Ben’s private suite after school one day.

They’d taken to using the brunette prince’s space because of the guaranteed privacy it provided – Ben allotted a suite with multiple rooms on his very own floor because of his position, which meant there weren’t people tramping through the halls or neighbors they had to worry about hearing their um- enthusiasm, Chad guessed. Sometimes they even _slept over_ , which was definitely against the rules, but Mal decided that they all deserved cuddles, _damnit_ , so she’d teleport them in anyway, and it wasn’t like Ben ever had an issue with this – the brunette happy to take turns wrapping around each of them like a dedicated blanket.

It looked like Chad was the first of the others to make it to the suite that evening, except Mal was definitely there with Ben, and she looked… worried?

Chad didn’t know what could be worrisome about Ben eating some cupcakes though, unless she was testing out a new recipe. That was generally not a thing Mal did, though. 

“Chad!” Mal said, her gaze wide with shock. “Don’t you have um- study time with Aziz or something?”

“He had to cancel ‘cuz of family stuff,” Chad said while Ben stared at his cupcake. “Hey, can I try one?”

Mal just sort of blinked at him, then blinked at Ben. “Um…”

“Sure,” Ben chirped half a second later, seeming to startle Mal more. “You’ll like them, they’re _chocolate_.”

“I- that does sound good,” Chad admitted, and maybe they got a little sidetracked from the cupcakes by Ben smearing frosting on Chad’s lips and then licking it off, but he allowed Chad to return the favor until they ended up rutting against each other for Mal’s viewing pleasure. “ _Wow_ ,” Chad said later when he was sprawled across Ben’s chest on the couch, feeling a bit messy, but sated. “Those are some good cupcakes.”

“Tell me about it,” Ben hummed, running a hand through Chad’s curls. And then, in a complete non-sequitur, he added, “You didn’t have to give me those cookies, Mal.” 

Mal, who had been uncharacteristically quiet for the exchange, threw up her hands in annoyance. “Well _now_ I fucking know that.”

“I do appreciate the boost though,” Ben continued somewhat mysteriously. “Hey, could I um- get some kissing practice of my own?”

At that, Mal let out a chuckle, all the tension seeming to ease from her shoulders. “Sure you can, my insatiable little gremlin,” she murmured, moving over until she was crouched beside the two of them. “I’m feeling so generous that I think I’ll practice with both of you.”

“Aw, Mal,” Chad said, grinning wide. “Thank you.”

“Fucking _thank you_ , asshole,” Mal muttered with a flush. “You’re the one that started this.”

“And I shall be the one that finishes it,” Ben hummed, and then he decided to make good on that pledge then and there, which neither Chad nor Mal really had any problems with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, that’s everything! Thank you guys so much for your lovely enthusiasm and feedback!! It’s always a real boost to my day to hear from you, and I’m glad you think this one’s so cute!! 
> 
> If you’re looking for some more Descendants goodness, I’m about to post the first chapter of my next fic, ['An Endless Horizon'](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27841222/chapters/68162248), shortly. It’s a Gil-centric, post Descendants 3 multi-chapter, so if you’re looking for some pirate-y goodness, there it is for you! :D 
> 
> Story notes:
> 
> Ruby is the crown princess of Corona, daughter of Rapunzel and Eugene.
> 
> Shoutout to Mal’s potion coaxing along things that would have naturally progressed anyway ;)
> 
> I always thought it was kind of dumb that Ben brought Mal on a date and then went swimming without her. Like, I know it was so she’d have time to sing her ballad, but in real, practical terms, one should not abandon their dates. That’s a free tip there ;D
> 
> So yes, true love’s kiss can break spells and all that, but we’re going to go ahead and say that while Ben had a strong appreciation for Chad, maybe even puppy love, he wasn’t full-blown committed yet. That’s why it took the cupcake to fix that problem.
> 
> WARNING – Dubious Consent in the 7th (second to last scene) due to love potion. Ben makes out and watches acts of intimacy while under the effects of the love potion. In this particular instance, it is more like the love potion gave him the liberation he needed to act on impulses he may have otherwise stifled, but the VKs don’t know that, so overall you can just skip that one particular scene if you aren’t comfortable with such things.
> 
> Until next time :)
> 
> -:-:-:-:-:-
> 
> ‘Day after day all the prince ever does is practice, practice, practice. Thinking of her and the way that it was – practice, practice, practice.’ – ‘Practice, Practice, Practice’ from The Swan Princess.


	3. Deleted Scenes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t tend to write a story totally in order, so below are the extra scenes I thought might make it into the final version of the story that ended up getting cut for one reason or another.
> 
> It probably says something that the deleted scenes are almost as long as the actual story itself, whoops ;)

** Chapter 1 – Lonnie Gossip with Chad **

Notes: _I played around with the idea of Mal letting it spill why Chad was a jerk to any girl that flirted with him – mostly to her crew, and since Lonnie tended to hang out with her in this alternate version of the story, of course she had to confront Chad and get that fresh gossip for herself. I cut it for the sake of pacing, but still, it was fun :)_

-:-:-:-:-:-

“Is it true?” Lonnie asked, blindsiding Chad with such a vicious intensity that he sort of flailed against his locker, though he managed to recover with what he hoped was a charming smile.

“Is what true?” he asked, trading his books out as though he had not spasmed like a dumb freak.

“Is it true that you were a jerk to girls because you’re afraid of dating them?”

That was just- “Who told you that?” Chad asked, dropping his voice low because that was not a _thing_ he wanted spread around. “Did Mal say that? That was supposed to be a secret. I mean, I didn’t tell her it was a secret-”

“So it’s true?” Lonnie grinned as though she’d discovered something victorious.

“Please don’t tell.” Lonnie was like, one of the biggest gossips in the school. Even _Chad_ knew that and he talked to barely anybody.

“What? Why?” Lonnie blinked. “You want to be known as a jerk?”

“I mean, better that than a weirdo,” Chad murmured, staring down at the floor.

“I think it’s kind of sweet,” Lonnie said, making Chad look up in surprise. “To be that worried. I mean, that still doesn’t make the jerk stuff right. Didn’t you think of, I dunno, asking you dad for advice?”

Chad felt his shoulders tense despite himself, and it was a battle not to stare at the floor again. “My um… my dad stopped talking to me after my mom died.”

Lonnie just sort of stared at him, her brows furrowed in confusion. “But didn’t… wasn’t that like, a decade ago?”

More than that, but he appreciated the lack of specification. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I don’t really have anyone to talk to about that stuff, but Audrey suggested the homework thing, and it worked even, so…”

Lonnie’s expression did this weird shift from confusion to like, stoic anger, and Chad did not understand it. “ _Audrey_ told you to do that?”

“Suggested it,” Chad clarified. “I um- I asked her one time about how to- what girls might like, since she was dating Ben so there wouldn’t be like, any mixed signals there, and she told me-”

“That it was better to be a jerk than a weirdo,” Lonnie finished.

Chad nodded. “Right. So that’s what I did.” He shut his locker. “But then Evie called my bluff and Mal said she would like me if I was just like- _me_ , and that seems to be working out okay.”

“That is generally how these things work,” Lonnie said sagely, using a level of confidence that made Chad wonder why he hadn’t just gone to her for advice way back way. “Hey, wanna join me for lunch?”

Chad blinked at the arm she offered him, like _she_ was a prince. “I’m sitting with the transfer students,” she added with a wag of her brows. “You can sit by _Evie_.”

“Do- do you think she’d want me there?”

“ _Yes_.” The voice came from behind him, making Chad lurch, but it was just Mal, wearing her usual expression of annoyance. “I have already told you Evie wants you around.”

“But like, if she changed her mind-”

“Then I would tell you _that_ ,” Mal sighed, and then she was grabbing Chad’s arm and tugging him onward.

Lonnie let out a laugh and took Chad’s other side, until Chad was walking through the hall with two confident, pretty girls and he wasn’t freaking out because he was pretty sure they wanted to be there, so-

That was cool.

-:-:-:-:-:-

** Chapter 1 – Locker room gossip **

Notes: _More stuff I ended up cutting because it made too much of the school aware of Audrey’s poor treatment towards Chad. Despite this, it was a fun way to initially bring in Jay and Carlos and give them a little more spotlight :)_

-:-:-:-:-:-

“Hey,” one of the new kids spoke up when they were changing out of their Tourney jerseys in the locker room. “How’d your date with Evie go?”

New guy must be like, a scholarship student or something, because he was a natural at Tourney. Chad spent a majority of their practices since new guy started on the ground, because new guy was like a bulldozer and Chad was just Chad. Sometimes he wondered why he even played Tourney, but Audrey said it was something princes did and Chad was a prince, so he figured he could manage that much.

“Um…” Chad blinked at the tall, shirtless teen who was still waiting for his answer. “Why do you ask?”

New guy stared at him blankly, then blinked as though he just remembered something. “I’m Evie’s friend.”

“ _Oh_.” At some point, Chad needed to figure out who all of those were so he could stop being surprised like this. “In that case, I think it went well! I took her to a Hanoven restaurant and then on a carriage ride through the park and she _let me hold her hand_ , so…” He smiled, hoping this would make new guy smile too. “It was good. Did- did she say otherwise?”

“No, she wouldn’t say anything,” new guy groused. “She wanted to keep it a secret. But she was smiling afterwards, so you must have done something right.”

“Really?” Chad perked up. It wasn’t like he’d expected Mal to lie to him, just, it was nice having such things verified from an outside source. “That’s great!”

Ben and Aziz wandered over, both in various stages of undress. “What’s great?” Ben asked, his smile warm and comforting and everything a prince’s smile should be. Audrey said this quite frequently, so Chad knew it was true.

“Chad’s date with Evie went well,” new guy explained, his brows quirked in an amused sort of slant.

“Wait.” Aziz held up a hand. “You’re dating Evie? You blew off like, most of the princesses in the school, but you’ll date her?”

Chad froze, anxiety gripping the base of his skull, threatening to claim the rest of his body, but then new guy was scoffing. “Dude, he blew them off because he was afraid of disappointing them. That is like, the most Auradon thing ever.” 

“Lonnie said Audrey told him to do it,” the other new kid whispered, and Chad had less of an idea why _he_ was on the team, because he didn’t seem very good at Tourney. Or like, excited to be there. 

Chad could relate.

Ben frowned, his gaze narrowing in on Chad. “Audrey told you to do that?”

True fact, while Chad did not like the attention of very pretty girls, he also didn’t like the combined attention of a bunch of his classmates, which probably did not mean great things for Sardinia in the future. “Um… yeah?” He wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be a secret. “I mean, it worked.”

“It made you look like an asshole,” Aziz pointed out.

“Audrey told him it was better to be that than _weird_ ,” small new kid pointed out.

Lonnie really was like, the biggest gossip. 

Also, Chad really needed to _learn their names_. He was pretty sure he’d been introduced to both of them at one point. He’d _eaten lunch with them_. He could be real dumb sometimes.

“I don’t…” Ben shook his head, seeming to refuse to believe this. “Maybe you misunderstood.”

It wasn’t an unfair accusation. Chad was good with academics but bad at just about everything else, but he hadn’t missed that.

“I um… I don’t think I did,” Chad said, hastily changing back into his cloths. “But that’s okay. The point is, I’m dating Evie, and she’s super nice and talented and pretty.”

“ _And_ she let you hold her hand,” Tall new kid said.

Chad grinned. “Right. It was super nice. I’m hoping she’ll let me do that again on our next date.”

“I mean…” Aziz blinked, still seeming blindsided by the conversation. “You could just kiss her.”

One thing at a _time_.

Chad could feel himself blushing. “When she’s um- ready, we’ll do that. But until then, I’m super good with the handholding.”

Tall guy slumped back against the locker with a laugh. “ _Auradon_.”

“Yeah,” small new kid huffed. “You’re telling me.” 

Chad didn’t get their criticisms, but he decided not to worry about it. Evie had been happy with their date, which meant Mal would also be happy, which meant Chad had made _two_ people happy. What a life.

-:-:-:-:-:-

** Chapter 2 – Ben cheating reaction drama **

Notes: _For the hottest of seconds, I considered having Ben figure out about the whole ‘crew pampering crew’ thing from someone else – like Lonnie, and perceiving it in Auradon terms, which would be cheating. I never got farther than this reaction scene because when I actually started integrating Ben into their relationship, I realized that as much as they sucked at communicating certain things, Chad would be too worried of potentially hurting Ben to not inform him of their arrangement, which was why this was ultimately cut._

_Warning – gets a bit angsty at the end._

-:-:-:-:-:-

“I mean,” Ben said sometime later, when they were successfully holed up in his room. “What she said wasn’t true, right? You guys aren’t actually cheating on me?”

“I mean, not technically,” Chad said, running his fingers through the other prince’s hair, because that was a thing he could do now.

Which was why he noticed when Ben suddenly tensed. “…define _technically_.”

“Oh.” Yeah, that was a fair question. “Okay, so… um. Isle culture is different from Auradon culture, right?”

“Right,” Ben allowed after a few moments.

So far so good. “Okay, so Auradon usually operates with like, two people relationships, but on the Isle, they don’t really _have_ relationships, they just have crews.” That had been how Carlos had explained it to Chad. “And your crew is your everything. So Mal’s in charge of her crew, which is why everyone defers to her.”

“That makes sense,” Ben said to show he was listening. He was such a good listener. 

“ _Right_ , so…” Chad trailed off, trying to think how best to put this. “Your crew is your family, but your crew are also your friends and coworkers and everything in between. So like… what belongs to one of them belongs to _all_ of them.”

“I guess that also makes sense,” Ben allowed. “Since resources are limited on the Isle.”

“Right.” Chad flushed. “But um… that also includes people.”

Ben gave him an appropriately befuddled stare.

“So…” Chad continued. “When Evie agreed to date _me_ , that meant I um- also belonged to the rest of her crew, because that’s how the Isle works. And when _you_ started dating us, you also got claimed by the rest of Mal’s crew.”

“O…kay…” Ben said.

“So like-” Chad cleared his throat awkwardly. “If you kiss someone else in the crew it isn’t cheating, because they’re crew. They’re basically _you_ , and you are basically _them_ … assuming I understood that correctly.”

“Are you saying you’ve kissed one of the other Isle students?” Ben asked, staring at Chad with an incomprehensible look.

Chad felt himself blush. “Um… yeah. I mean, I was really worried about kissing you, because I’ve never kissed a guy before, so Jay offered to help me practice. And I was worried about kissing _girls_ , so Mal helped me practice with that. But I didn’t go outside the crew, so it isn’t technically cheating.”

“Chad,” Ben said after a long beat. “That is definitely cheating.”

“What?” Chad felt his pulse begin to race. “No, it isn’t. I didn’t go outside the crew.”

“But you went outside the people you are _dating_ ,” Ben stressed.

“Yeah but- they don’t have dating on the Isle,” Chad tried to explain. “They just have crews-”

“We’re not _on_ the Isle, Chad,” Ben said, pulling away from him with a wounded look. “And you guys have been going behind my back-”

“I’m sorry, Ben,” Chad said, rushing to follow him. “We didn’t- I’m not sure why we didn’t explain it earlier, but that- that means you can kiss them too, you know, if you wanted. They just thought you _wouldn’t_ want to-”

“What you’re talking about is _lunacy_ ,” Ben snapped, gesturing for Chad to keep his distance with a broad wave of his hand. “You can’t- no one likes _that_ many people.”

“I mean, by Auradon standards, sure-”

“We’re _in Auradon,_ Chad!” Ben looked so very hurt, and Chad ached for him, wished they’d just come out and explained this earlier. “Did you even think about how this would hurt me? Am I not enough for you?”

“Of course, Ben,” Chad pressed, because how could he other prince _doubt_ that. “It’s just- I don’t- I don’t know why you like me in the first place, we never really talked to each other-”

“That didn’t mean I didn’t _see you_ ,” Ben snapped. “…and I thought you saw me.”

“I did, Ben,” Chad said, feeling like the world was falling down around him. “I _do_.”

“No.” Ben shook his head, stubborn and hurt. “You don’t. And I don’t think you ever did.”

With that, he retreated into his office, the lock clicking shut with a definite sound, making Chad feel even smaller than before.

Yeah, this seemed right. Things had been going too well for him, and he’d known it. It had always been too good to be true.

And now Chad didn’t even know if he was crew anymore.

-:-:-:-:-:-

** ALTERNATE STORYLINE – D2 – Comforting Frustrated Mal **

Notes: _Okay, so when I was writing this bad boy I had an idea for a beginning and an idea for an ending and it took me a very long time to realize the two things I’d written did not, in fact, match up. Originally I had plans for this to be a strictly Chad/Evie story with kissing practicing with Mal behind Evie’s back, focusing less on crew dynamics and disregarding the potential for the established Core Four OT4._

_Ultimately, I decided that the lighthearted beginning I had written didn’t line up with the second half of the story I had, so I canned the end and re-wrote it. Unfortunately, I don’t really have anything in the tank for writing a different beginning to this alternate story path, so I figured I’d share it here._

_In this version of the story, Mal is with Ben while Chad is with Evie, though Chad and Mal are seemingly BFFs. They care about each other a lot since they have essentially been secretly dating without either of them really knowing the label for it. So when Mal’s frustrated and overwhelmed from the events of the beginning of D2, Chad swoops in to help her, because she was his first and most important friend. Cue Evie strolling in near the end of this and realizing that Chad and Mal are a lot tighter than she expected, leading to new tension between Mal and Evie, mostly in regards to Mal taking more than her due as leader would allow her to. This is what prompts her to actually leave for the Isle in this verse, rather than just the failed date with Ben._

_PS – totally forgot that Chad was a seamstress in this version of the story, but he totally is :)_

-:-:-:-:-:-

With the way things were going, Chad wasn’t surprised to receive a visit from a frustrated Mal, who more or less stormed into his room like she owned the joint.

“I fucked up my date with Ben,” Mal groaned, flopping down on Chad’s bed as though totally surrendering her will to stand. Chad shared a look with Doug, who’d been working at his desk across the room, and then the dwarf-kin nodded, packing up his bag quickly and vacating to the library. They had a system for when Mal got like this, and Chad was always very grateful for Doug’s understanding and patience. 

With that settled, Chad perched on the edge of his bed near Mal, patting a comforting hand on her shoulder. “No, you didn’t.”

Mal looked up from his pillow to shoot him a pissy look. “You didn’t even know what happened.”

“I know there’s nothing you could have done that would make Ben like, super unhappy,” Chad said. Short of actually killing someone, and Mal wasn’t going to do that. She’d pledged to be good, and Mal didn’t go back on her pledges, and aside from that, Ben was super forgiving. 

Mal’s expression fell. “He found my spellbook. He’s mad that I’m still using magic.”

“Then he’s dumb,” Chad declared. “I can talk to him, if you want. But you’re like, part-fairy. You _should_ use magic, it’s in your blood.”

“You are like, the only person that believes that,” Mal sniffed, but a small grin was tugging at her lips, so Chad considered it a win.

“Then I guess I get to be the smart person about something for once,” Chad said, offering her a bright smile. “Look, why don’t I run you a bath and you can rant to me about all the stuff that’s been bothering you, because _clearly-_ ” he added before she could protest. “Something has been bothering you, so just- let’s do that. Let’s be unproductive people for an afternoon. We’ve earned it.”

“I haven’t,” Mal grumbled, turning back into Chad’s pillow.

“Yes,” Chad pressed. “You _have_. You’ve been touring nonstop and giving tons of interviews and doing a great job for someone who was not raised to do this. So you definitely have earned some pampering, and I will hear no arguments on the subject.”

“Alright, Mr. James,” Mal giggled, turning that rare smile on him again. “If you insist.”

“I do.” Chad grinned, and then he left her to rest for a few minutes while he started up a bubble bath, using those salts that Evie had gotten him because they were seriously _the best_ and Mal deserved that right now. He even lit a few scented candles, because ultimate pampering should include pretty, vanilla smells. “Let me know when you’re settled,” he said, waving her into the bathroom.

“Such a gentleman,” Mal drawled, but she still offered him a smile, albeit a weary one. He tried not to think of the way it made him feel as he dug through his mini fridge, grabbing one of those strawberry spritzers Mal loved so much. He slid a straw into the glass bottle and set it on the floating tub tray he kept for such occasions, deciding to go for broke and add a small bowl of chocolate covered strawberries as well. Mal needed to know she wasn’t a failure, and while Ben would probably tell her that himself later (he was good like that), Chad wanted to be sure she knew it _now_.

“ _I’m ready_ ,” Mal called through the door, and Chad grabbed up his sleep mask, perching it on the top of his head while he balanced the bath tray in one hand. He kept his gaze mostly on the floor as he passed the tray over (even if the bubbles mostly covered Mal, he wanted to play it safe, he was a _gentleman_ ). 

“Chad,” Mal sighed when she saw what he brought her, but Chad ignored it, setting his back to the tub and sliding the sleep mask in place. There, now there was no fear of accidental peekings.

“You deserve it,” Chad insisted, breathing in the warm scent of vanilla. Scented candles were the _best_. 

“Ben doesn’t think so,” Mal grumbled, likely slouching into the warm waters. “Evie doesn’t think so.”

“Have you talked to them?” Chad asked. “Like, _really_ talked to them? Your magic’s a part of you, and it isn’t fair of them to ask you to give that up cold turkey.”

“They think it’s a crutch,” Mal said, biting into a strawberry by the sounds of things. “That I’m _cheating_.”

“You are doing something you’ve never done before,” Chad said. “Something that’s never been asked of you. You deserve a crutch, I think.”

“It’s just…” Mal sighed. “I tried to wipe Ben’s memory.”

Chad startled. “ _Mal_.”

“Just a few minutes!” Mal pressed. “Things were going so well, and then he found my spellbook and got _mad-_ ”

“I’m all for you using magic,” Chad said. “But you can’t do stuff like that, even when you’re panicking.”

“But he was all… _beastly_ ,” Mal said, a shudder in her voice. “I’ve never seen him that mad before.”

“Then he’ll probably feel super bad about it,” Chad said. “You should talk to him. You should talk to him about _all_ this stuff. He’s not going to be mad if you tell him you feel overwhelmed. _Ben_ probably feels overwhelmed, and he’s been raised for this stuff, so he would understand.”

“I don’t think he would,” Mal murmured. “I feel like he wants me to be this perfect princess, and he’s finally starting to realize that’s not what I am and he’s… he’s disappointed.”

“You could never be disappointing,” Chad said, because even if he’d been scared of Mal in the beginning, he knew that much. “Mal, Ben doesn’t love you because you’re a princess, he loves you because you’re brave and funny and strong and have a vicious need to win. Those are all wonderful Mal qualities that Ben appreciates, that we _all_ appreciate.”

That Chad appreciated, especially, with a need he couldn’t properly articulate, so much so it made his chest hurt.

“…you really think Ben loves me?” Mal asked, her voice sounding small.

Chad hadn’t realized that was a doubt of hers. “Of course he does,” he explained. “You don’t see the way he looks at you, but the rest of us do. It’s really goofy and dumb and Carlos takes pictures of it all the time. He looks at you and he’s like, ‘ _wow, I got this feisty, awesome lady to like me, go me_ ’, he looks at you like you’re one of the most important people in the whole world.” Because for Ben, she was. “Don’t… don’t doubt that, okay? Even if everything else is crazy, don’t doubt that.”

“Sometimes…” Mal’s voice was soft, her nails clicking against the glass of the bottle. “…sometimes I think he looks at Evie like that.”

Chad froze, unable to help himself, because he’d never noticed such a thing. “You… you do?”

“Yeah,” Mal admitted. “Sometimes he looks at her and I want to scratch his eyes out, but I _don’t_ because it’s Ben and he’s looking at Evie and it’s _Evie_ , who’s- who’s-”

“The best?” Chad supplied, marveling over the thought process he tread every day. To this point, he still didn’t know why Evie had asked him out in the first place, and though he was grateful, he often didn’t feel worthy of her. 

Ben was worthy of her though.

“Exactly,” Mal sighed. “I can’t be mad at her. I can’t be mad at either of them.”

“Do…” Chad’s heart was beating frantically against his ribcage. “Do you think… does Evie look at Ben too? Like that?”

There was a pause, and Chad felt his stomach drop. “Yeah,” Mal admitted. “But, I mean, she stares at you too, don’t doubt that-”

“But I can’t compete with Ben,” Chad said, feeling so very small. 

“Don’t say that,” Mal snapped, the sloshing water indicating that she was shifting closer to his side of the tub. “Because if you think that, there’s no way I could compete with _Evie-_ ”

“That’s not fair,” Chad said, frowning. “You and Evie bring completely different things to the table. It doesn’t mean you aren’t both wonderful.”

“You are like, biologically inclined to say that,” Mal scoffed, and she was probably rolling her eyes too. “You have to be nice to everyone-”

“Mal,” Chad pressed, feeling both flattered and a little hurt that she would think that. “You’re brave and resilient and- and _wonderful_ , and you have a cute bunny nose and this awesome glare and I could probably spend all day listing your good qualities, but I won’t because you wouldn’t believe me anyway, because you’re too humble or, I don’t know, scared to think you could be-”

“Scared?” Mal cut in, voice harder because Chad had challenged her composure. “You think I’m scared?”

“A little,” Chad admitted, turning to lean against the tub. He could feel that Mal was close, though the sleep mask kept him from seeing anything, kept him a gentleman as he struggled to find the right words. “I think it’s easier for you to think you _can’t_ do this or to think that Evie’s better than you than it is for you to admit you love Ben, and that you’re scared of failing him-”

“And what about you?” Mal cut in, her wet hands settling on Chad’s forearms, feeling warm from the bath. “What are _you_ scared of?”

“Um…” Chad’s pulse had yet to calm down, though he didn’t know why. “I guess losing you-”

‘ _Guys_ ’ was going to be the following word, because Chad would hate to lose the bounty of friends he had gained over the past few months, but the bathroom door slid open before he could finish talking, dragging Chad’s attention towards it.

“…Evie,” Mal said, answering Chad’s question as to _who_ it could be.

“Hey, Mal,” Evie said, her voice sounding tight. “What are you guys doing?”

“Mal’s ranting,” Chad said, easing into a smile because it was Evie, and he always liked having her around. “I’m listening.”

“Listening…” Evie echoed. “In the bathroom?”

“That’s why I’ve got a mask!” Chad said, pointing to it. “Because I am a gentleman. I wouldn’t- I mean, I wouldn’t do that to you _or_ Mal, so I…” Right, he was beginning to sound stupid, now. “Did you um- need anything? Are there any dresses that needed last-minute adjustments?”

“Actually, could you give the dresses one last look over?” Evie asked, her voice carefully neutral. “I want to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I can keep Mal company.”

“Oh.” That made sense, they _were_ best friends after all. “Okay. Sure thing, Evie. Anything I can do to help.”

“ _Right_ ,” Evie said, her tone all weird, and Chad tried not to look into it. He was pretty sure Evie would tell him if he’d messed up, Audrey always had. 

Chad pulled away from the tub slowly, likely startling Mal, who still had her hands on his forearms. She pulled them away quickly, and while Chad was sorry for the loss, he had to stay focused. He didn’t want to slip and fall in front of his girlfriend, so he kept his head down as he walked out blindly.

“I’ll see you later, Chad,” Evie said, giving his shoulder a few pats before he shuffled into his room. She even kissed him on the cheek, so things must not have been _that_ bad.

“Okay, Evie,” he said, grinning. “Bye, Mal.”

“…bye,” Mal murmured, and it wasn’t until later that Chad would realize that was the last he’d hear from her, and he’d hate himself all the more for it.

-:-:-:-:-:-

** ALTERNATE STORYLINE – Chad Chasing Mal to the Isle **

Notes: _SO. So, I had plans for Chad finding Mal’s note and chasing after her himself, without the forethought of contacting the others. Like, he does enough planning to grab one of Jay’s outfits so he can blend in, but that’s where his planning ends. I honestly don’t remember how he was supposed to track her down aside from Mal giving him a super detailed description of the Isle that Chad committed to memory._

_Of course when confronted with the sweet prince that chased her down to the Isle, Mal does the super well-adjusted thing and runs him off by breaking his heart, trying to bring a brutal end to their relationship so he won’t risk his neck hunting her down again. So mild warning, this scene ends with Chad crying, feeling a bit broken hearted._

_Warning – the scene does end with Harry and Gil capturing him, and Harry is very much himself, sort of manic and menacing and unconcerned with Chad’s personal boundaries._

-:-:-:-:-:-

To say that Chad was anxious when he approached the Isle was an understatement, but this was for Mal. He had to be strong for her because she was his best friend, whether she knew it or not. He hated the idea of her leaving because she thought she was failing to live up to Auradon expectations. Mal didn’t _need_ Auradon standards, she just needed to be herself. But more importantly, she needed to be free- she _deserved_ to be free, and if Chad didn’t do his best to try and make her see that, he would never forgive himself. 

He parked the car in the shadows of a few decaying buildings, heart pounding in his chest as he activated the vehicle’s camouflage. He had Mal’s explanations of the Isle committed to memory, but even that didn’t seem to do justice to how genuinely rundown the place was. He couldn’t help but ache at the thought of Mal and Evie growing up here, at the children who were _still_ trapped here, but he had to push that aside. The Isle was dangerous, and he was on a mission. 

He just wished Jay would wear _sleeves_. As comfortable as Chad was in his Swords and Shields uniform, being in this unfamiliar place with his arms bared made Chad feel even more uneasy. He wasn’t that much of a showoff, but it didn’t matter. Jay looked the part so _Chad_ looked the part and now he needed to go find Mal and try to bring her back. 

Chad did his best to copy the way Mal walked as he cut his way towards her hideout. He kept his shoulders back and chin up, walking like he owned the place instead of cowering in the shadows like he wanted to. Mal had said there were two ways to operate on the Isle. Either you were in control, or you kept your head down, and Chad wasn’t dressed to keep his head down. 

He walked.

It was a relief to finally see the sign Mal had told him about, and he made short work of snatching up a rock and chucking it at the trigger mechanism that lifted the gate. He waited for it to be open just enough before he ducked under, prepared to go into the Dragon’s Den. 

That was what Mal had called it, _the Dragon’s Den_. Chad had always thought it appropriate, which- obviously, because Mal had named it, but still. Her explanations didn’t do the place justice when he eased himself inside, because the walls were lined with Mal’s graffiti art, beautiful murals that took shabby wallpaper and made them masterpieces. 

Chad lost a few seconds to staring, because this was the Mal he wanted to come back with him, this was the Mal that should be making Auradon prettier and sharing her gift for the world to see. 

He heard the familiar sound of spray paint a second before he saw her, and it was such a relief to know she was in one piece that he didn’t immediately realize her hair was back to its usual purple until he drew in closer.

“Mal!” he greeted, unable to hold back a grin. “You um… you look good. I mean, you always look good-” 

“ _Chad?_ ” she turned to view him with wide eyes, as though she couldn’t believe he would follow her, and then she was throwing down her spray can and marching across the room. “What are you doing here? And why are you dressed like _that_?”

“I needed to blend in,” Chad explained, and he couldn’t stop smiling because it was Mal. _Mal_. She was safe. “I… I found your note in Evie’s room, and I know it wasn’t addressed to me but after what happened yesterday-” She tensed and he hated it, _hated it_ , because he didn’t even know what had gone wrong yesterday. “I read it, and I’m glad I did because you _can’t_ leave Auradon, Mal. Or, I mean, you don’t have to. If you’re feeling overwhelmed because of all the Lady of the Court stuff-”

“I’m not _made_ for Auradon, Chad,” Mal spat, her expression twisted into a scowl. “I don’t belong there. I belong _here._ ”

“No, you don’t.” The words came in a rush, and Chad was surprised he didn’t stumble over them in his haste to explain this. “Look at what you create,” he said, motioning to the art around them. “ _This_ doesn’t belong on the Isle. None of the children belong on the Isle, and just because you’re used to people telling you that- they’re wrong. You deserve Auradon, Mal. You deserve sunshine and bubble baths and strawberries-” She flinched away at the last part and he hated it, hated how he wasn’t making things better. “ _Mal._ ”

“Don’t be stupid, Chad,” Mal hissed, her eyes narrowed furiously. “I’m the daughter of the mistress of evil. If anyone should be here, it’s me.” She stomped away with her shoulders pulled back and head held high, because even in her anger, she was strong. “I’m staying.”

Okay. Okay, this wasn’t going how Chad expected it to go, but it was _Mal_. She was always so stubborn and sure of herself. Of course she knew what she wanted, even if she was wrong. At least, wrong about why she should be here. It was possible that Chad _never_ would have been able to create an argument good enough to get her to come back with him, because he was only Chad, only dumb and awkward and nitpicky, and who was he to compare to the might of Mal?

So he adapted the only way he knew how, committing the first words that came out of his mouth.

“Then I’ll stay with you,” he said, and realized, with a shock, that this did not terrify him. The Isle terrified him, that went without question, but if he was with Mal, then it was all worth it.

Mal froze in place, staring at him with a wide-eyed shock that Chad didn’t know how to process until her breaths started to come faster, her pretty lashes fluttering rapidly in an effort to focus herself.

“I’ll stay with you,” Chad repeated, feeling more confident about the idea. “I’ll help you scavenge for anything you need and we can stay here in the Dragon’s Den. And you’ll make art and I’ll… I’ll support you, and we can-”

“Don’t be _stupid_ , Chad,” she snapped, and that time when she looked at him, there was only fury in her features. “You can’t stay here; you have to run a kingdom someday!”

“But I’m a bad prince!” He must be, if his father never spoke to him. “And I’d probably be a bad king, too. I bet whoever’s next in line for the throne would do a better job, so really-”

“What about Evie?”

“She’ll understand,” Chad said, hoping the words were true. “She wouldn’t want you to be alone either.” Maybe… Maybe Evie would start dating Ben the way she should be, because if Mal wasn’t Ben’s Lady of the Court, Evie was the perfect choice, because she was so poised and intelligent and regal. 

“Have you ever thought that maybe _I_ want to be alone?!” Mal snarled, unleashing a level of anger Chad hadn’t seen aimed at him since their first meeting. Like she was _really_ mad. “Sweet _evil_ , Chad – how can you be this stupid? I wasn’t just running from Auradon, I was running from _you_.”

“W…What?” Chad felt like the ground had been pulled out from under him, because just yesterday things had been fine, Mal had been smiling like Chad meant something and Chad had been a perfect gentleman-

“The only reason I helped you was for _Evie_ ,” Mal continued, pacing a furious path away from Chad. “And- and the only reason I accepted your help was because you owed me. But don’t think that there was- there was _anything_ else there, you dumb shit. You were just an end to a means.”

“M-Mal…” It couldn’t be true. It _couldn’t be true_ but Mal seemed so sure. 

It made Chad feel small, or worse, _broken_ , because he’d managed to misread the situation so very badly and now he couldn’t even do it _like a man_ , the way his grandfather wanted him to. No, instead he could feel this hopeless sort of heat build behind his eyes, emotion clogging his throat like he was going to start crying any second now, like he was a _baby_. 

“Get _out of here_ ,” Mal snarled, picking up a water-damaged paperback and hurling it at Chad’s head. He managed to duck out of the way just in time, though he was still in shock that she’d thrown something at all. “You prissy little prince. Why would you think that we’re friends? That I’d want to spend my life with someone like _you_? You’re so- so uptight and _needy_ – now take your stupid dumbass face and go back to Auradon. Go back to Evie and _Ben_ , and I swear, if you _don’t_ take care of them, I will hunt you down and gut you myself.”

“I…” Chad was crying now, couldn’t help it for the hatred being aimed his way, shared by someone he cared about so very deeply. “I’m- I’m sorry…”

“ _Go_ ,” Mal snapped, and Chad-

He left. 

He might be stupid and he might be a nuisance but he could follow orders if that would make Mal happy. Even if she hated him, he’d cared for her, so much so that his heart seemed to be shattering. He’d failed Mal _and_ Evie and now he’d even failed himself, because he’d thought he’d had a true friend and she’d just been using him the whole time. 

It was awful, and he knew he shouldn’t walk through the streets of the Isle with tears pouring down his face, but he couldn’t help it. He needed to get home. He needed to apologize to Evie and do something _right_ so he could try to forget Mal’s cruel words. 

He was making good headway until a body seemed to force itself directly into his path, and when Chad looked up, it was to see some guy in a red coat and eyeliner menacing towards him with a threatening smile.

“Well, well, well,” he drawled in a DunBroch accent, one hand lifted to reveal a tarnished hook. “What have we got here?”

Oh, that must be um- Harry Hook, Chad remembered. Mal had talked about the rival crews on the Isle, and Harry was the lieutenant for the pirates, working under Ursula’s daughter or something like that.

“Looks like he belongs to Jay,” another voice said, this one directly _behind_ Chad. The prince had enough time to startle before he found his arms dragged behind his back by a large blond teen. He was also dressed like a pirate, though unlike Harry his grin seemed sunny and genuine. “I mean, look at his clothes.”

“So the rumors are true, then?” Harry said, swaying forward to trace his hook against Chad’s cheek. “Did dear ole’ Mal really return to the Isle, then? I mean, she must have,” he continued without waiting for Chad’s response as he dragged his eyes over the prince’s body. “If Jay boy is sending out his claimed flesh to go after her.”

“What should we do, Harry?” the other teen asked, confirming that Chad had at least gotten the name right. “Do you think Jay’s nearby?”

“If he’s not now, he will be,” Harry said, petting the tear stains on Chad’s cheeks. “Auradon must be making him real soft if he’s claiming a weeping child like this one. Though….” He leaned forward until there were only a few inches between him and Chad, his fingers falling to caress Chad’s lips. “-perhaps the sex makes up for it.”

“He _is_ real pretty,” the other teen said, though Chad was too busy trying to remember how to breathe, remember how to _move_ because he should be able to break out of this hold but the other teen’s hands were like iron vices, immoveable, or maybe Chad was just weak. 

“We’re taking him,” Harry declared, just as Chad’s pulse skyrocketed. “Captain will want a look at this, either way.”

“W-Wait-” Chad gasped, and that was all he was able to get out before there was a sharp blow to the back of his head.

And then there was nothing.

-:-:-:-:-:-

** ALTERNATE STORYLINE – Sea Three Hostage **

Notes: _Normally I don’t include stuff in the deleted scenes chapter if they require heavy warnings. It’s just a personal preference, mostly because you’ve just had a nice happy ending and probably don’t need to drag that down with the super angst that didn’t make the cut. That said, because the ending of this version of the story is entirely finished, for those of you who would like to bring on that angst, I present Chad’s hostage experience with the pirates_

_WARNING – Non-con touching, dub-con kissing (via Harry), non-sexual bondage, mild internalized slutshaming, non-sexual exhibitionism/humiliation – Because Uma is a mad lady, and Harry is doing his very best to be off-putting and threatening._

_Like, it all ends happily, of course – love confessions and rescues all around, but if you’re not comfortable with the stuff mentioned above, go ahead and peace out on this one. Hold onto the nice, actually canon happy ending that contains significantly less pirates ;)_

-:-:-:-:-:-

When Chad struggled towards coherence, his head felt stuffy, his nose clogged with the scent of rotting wood. He tried to wipe at his nose as though to urge the offending smell away, but he realized belatedly that his wrists were pinned above his head somehow. 

He also realized he was lying down, though the mattress he was on was old and lumpy. He wasn’t in Auradon Prep, then. Maybe it was a summer cottage? The one his grandfather had sent Chad away to over the break had mattresses that hadn’t been _great_ , but it was still better than this one. 

There was a pressure against his cheek, wet and flat, and when Chad blinked his eyes open, it was to see Harry Hook licking at his tear tracks. 

The events that led to his capture came back to him in a rush, and Harry sat back, as though delighting in his onslaught of horror. It didn’t help that Chad realized he was shirtless, his borrowed gloves and hat gone as well, so that his upper body was entirely bare and pressed against the old mattress.

“Look who decided to rejoin us,” the pirate drawled, brushing at Chad’s other cheek to urge a few more tears out, these inspired by a genuine and warranted fear. “What did I tell you, Captain? He is a pretty one.”

“Suppose Jay wouldn’t settle for anything less,” a new voice drawled, and when Chad looked up it was to see a thin, dark skinned teen with long, aqua dreadlocks posed by the foot of his bed, her legs spread in a wide brace and arms folded over her chest, and on anyone else that might be defensive, but on her she just seemed bored. “Now tell me, why are you on the Isle?”

“I…” Chad’s voice felt shaky, and it didn’t help that Harry kept _touching_ him, random caresses that seemed entirely predatory. “I um. I came to get Mal.”

“Oh?” The captain quirked a brow at him. “You did, did you? And how did that go?”

“Badly, I’m guessing,” Harry cackled, swiping at Chad’s cheeks. “He was half lost to tears when we found him. And not a one of Mal’s crew in sight.”

“She thinks she owns everything,” the captain growled, and clearly Mal hadn’t been underselling how vicious their rivalry was. “ _Whatever_ , we’ll just need to send her a little reminder. That turf isn’t hers anymore, it’s _mine_.”

“And is this ours, too?” Harry asked with a grin, petting down Chad’s stomach. “I mean, look,” he said, caressing Chad’s neck and pectorals. “There’s not a claiming mark on him. They didn’t even _bother_.”

“Probably wanted to keep him pretty,” Uma declared with a roll of her eyes. “You know how Jay gets with _pretty_ things.”

“I’m just saying, if he treated him this good, they’d probably want him back,” Harry continued, deciding to pet his hand lower against Chad’s trembling abdomen. “We should bargain for him. The others have been spotted on the Isle; we could arrange a trade.”

The captain perked up, sliding into a smile that was tinged with genuine affection and mischievousness. “I like that idea. We could trade Jay’s fuckboy for the wand, and they’d probably give it too, if they cared enough to dress him up like this.”

“But we could still keep him, right?” a new voice – the blond from earlier – spoke up. Chad hadn’t realized he was there because he’d been in the prince’s blind spot, but now he was approaching the bed with another soft smile, tracing his hands across Chad’s torso in aimless sorts of pets. “You know, just _say_ we’re going to give him back but actually not?”

“Gilly,” the captain began with a roll of her eyes. “Once we drop the barrier you’ll have your pick of all the pretty boys.”

“But I like this one,” Gilly pouted, toying with Chad’s belt for a moment before he decided to undo it. “He was Jay’s, which means he must have been the best.”

“Or the worst,” Harry drawled. “If they sent him first without any kind of backup. Maybe they _wanted_ him to get kidnapped. Maybe he was a present,” Harry continued, moving to help Gilly until they were easing Chad’s pants down his legs. “To appease you, Captain.”

“No,” the captain scoffed. “Mal’s not that thoughtful or generous. They fucked up, and now we get to benefit from it.”

“Yeah, we do,” Gilly chirped, feeling at Chad’s bare legs while Harry got to work undoing Chad’s boots. “He doesn’t even have scars here _either_. He’s so smooth.”

“Smooth for _Jay_ ,” Harry drawled as he tugged off the first boot and scoff. “Tell me, blondie, do ye spend every day dolling yourself up for him?” He leaned forward with a conspiratorial wink. “Do ye _prepare_ for him?”

“I…” Chad didn’t know what to say, a lot of things were happening and they kept touching him and he didn’t know why they thought he belonged to Jay when he was Evie’s and he wasn’t sure if pointing that out would make things worse. “I don’t- we haven’t…”

The lieutenant froze, a wide grin splitting across his face as he stared at Chad with a look of wonder. “Ye hear that, captain?” he began with a delighted cackle. “Jay hasn’t even _fucked_ him yet. No wonder he doesn’t have any claim marks!”

Now the captain’s look seemed genuine as she prowled forward, getting close enough to thread her fingers into Chad’s curls with a possessive grip. “He must have been saving you for a special occasion.”

“And we all know Jay doesn’t do patience,” Harry giggled, doing away with Chad’s other boot and sock and jerking his pants off in rough movements. “If he decided wait, that must mean you’re something special.”

“Do you think he loves him?” Gilly asked, breathless with wonderment. “Like in the fairytales, Uma? Do you think Jay found his prince charming?”

It wasn’t intentional, but Chad still flinched, hating the nickname he’d been given from birth, the one his father had earned that Chad just got stuck with.

“What’s this?” Harry grinned, leaning in close. “Are you a prince, blondie?”

Chad was trembling now, though he wasn’t sure if he’d ever stopped, fresh tears leaking from the corners of his eyes because he was so scared. He didn’t know what to say, felt paralyzed, at least until the captain _yanked_ on his curls, pulling his head back.

“Hey,” she drawled, deadpanned and threatening. “Harry asked you a question.”

“Y-Yes,” Chad gasped, squeezing his eyes shut. “I’m a- a p-prince.”

“ _Sweet evil_ ,” Harry hissed, and then came that wet warmth again, Harry licking up his tears as Chad cried them. “No wonder Jay waited. I bet he really does love him, the dumb shit.” 

“Then we’ll definitely be able to bargain for the wand,” the captain said, and when Chad opened his eyes she was grinning, a victorious thing.

“Can I fuck him?” Harry asked, seeming to vibrate with excitement. “ _Please_ , Uma. I bet he makes the best noises-”

“Not yet,” the captain said, sending a wave of panic through Chad because she said ‘ _yet_ ’, as in it could still happen later- “We need him in one piece to make the trade. But I tell you what, if Jay tries to get snippy with me, you could give him a taste of what’s to befall his precious _love_ should he not comply.”

Harry released a truly evil laugh. “You’re too good to me, captain.”

“You got that right,” the captain drawled, but then she was reaching over to cup Harry’s cheek, a sort of softness in her eyes Chad only saw on Mal, saw on someone who was so used to being strong that she had to make a dedicated effort to be kind to those she loved so very much, and it hurt, that _hurt_ , because Harry the psycho Hook was getting that and Chad had gotten nothing, because he really was useless.

“Now, let’s get to work,” the captain continued, and just like that, the moment was over. “Harry, you’re with me. Gil, you watch the prince, and _no touching_.”

“What about petting?” Gilly- Gil? Asked, a little pout on his lips. “Could I do that? I promise I won’t bruise him.”

“ _Gilly_ ,” Harry growled, a low warning for the other teen not to push his luck.

The captain gave him a considering look. “On second thought, Harry, you’re with the prince.”

Both of the other pirates began to protest. “But-”

“ _No_ , Gil,” the captain said with a sigh. “I know you’ll be careful, but we can’t risk bruising his majesty if you get excited.” The blond had the decency to look ashamed. “And you, Hook-”

“Come _on_ ,” Harry groaned, packing Chad’s clothes into a satchel. “I gotta stare at him for who knows how long and not even get to touch him?”

“I _said_ you can’t leave any marks,” the captain repeated, making a slow sort of realization take over Harry’s face. “You gonna be able to retrain yourself?”

“For you, captain?” the first mate began with a flirtatious drawl. “ _Anything_.”

“Then make it happen,” the captain said, and with that, she was gone, Gil following on her heels until it was just Chad and Harry, the first mate content to run his hands up and down Chad’s mostly bare body.

“Looks like it’s just you and me, blondie,” Harry murmured, pressing his lips against Chad’s shoulder. “And I think I wanna get me a _taste_.”

“P-Please,” Chad gasped, his mind struggling to stay coherent over the rising panic. “D-Don’t-”

“Ah, _now_ he speaks,” Harry cackled, and then he proceeded to ignore Chad, licking a stripe down his chest that made Chad _shiver_. 

He sort of lost track of things, after that.

-:-:-:-:-:-

At some point, Harry eased off Chad’s underwear, though he took his time caressing the soft fabric, doting Chad with compliments about how the color brought out his eyes and normally Chad would be preening under the comments but as a hostage, he couldn’t stop shaking. Harry felt everything. Every inch covered by the material. He traced the curves of Chad’s rear, he cupped his groin, he eased the briefs down slowly until he could pack them in the bag with the rest of Chad’s clothing. The bag got left out in the hallway, ‘for pickup’ Harry had said, but the small, rational part of Chad that remained suspected it was for proof of his capture, and confirmation of his compliance. It was harder to escape without clothes. 

Harry’s face lit up in delight when he saw Chad’s well-maintained pubic hair, though the prince done that for _Evie_ and Mal- Mal who hated him, and that hurt, as did Harry’s teasing. 

The first mate spent a lot of time licking up Chad’s tears. 

“Ye just keep going,” Harry marveled, splayed out on the bed beside Chad. “Pretty little damsel, you are. No wonder Jay snagged ye.”

Chad said nothing, and Harry continued to lick him in random patterns. He seemed mostly fixated on Chad’s neck, which was a bit of a relief, even if his hands like to stray down to caress Chad’s sides. 

“I’m gonna fuck ye,” Harry promised, caressing Chad’s hip as he pressed fresh kisses to his shoulder. “If Jay’s a _second_ late I’m gonna force ye down onto the deck and fuck ye in front of the entire crew.”

Chad trembled, new tears flowing because Jay wasn’t going to come, and Chad’s first time was going to be in front of a bunch of strangers laughing at him while a different stranger used him for the only thing he was likely good for. It was times like this that made Chad wonder why Evie had wanted to date him in the first place. Maybe she’d been expecting some sort of prowess because of Chad’s dumb nickname, and the only reason he had _that_ was because of Mal. 

“Do ye like that?” Harry breathed into Chad’s ear, like they were um- colluding together.

“N-No,” Chad whispered, his voice sounding so very weak.

Harry’s grin got a little tighter. “Oh? Ye don’t? Ye think you’re too _good_ for us?”

“N-No.” Chad shook his head, swallowing roughly. “I don’t- they’d be s-strangers and I- I haven’t- I’ve never…”

Harry stilled, and then his smile pulled so wide it looked like it hurt. “Are ye a _virgin?_ ”

Maybe Chad shouldn’t have told him that, but he just- he felt so scared, it was difficult to think rationally. It was difficult to be composed when he felt so very helpless. 

Chad nodded his head weakly, and immediately Harry buried his face in Chad’s shoulder, smothering a laugh.

“I can’t believe it,” Harry giggled against Chad’s skin. “A real virgin prince _here_ in the captain’s quarters. Forget me fucking ye, Captain will do the honors herself.”

“P-Please,” Chad squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he could be _better_. “Please. They’re not- they’re not g-going to come.”

“Oh?” Harry’s cocked his head to the side in interest. “Ye really think that?” He shifted a hand forward to cup Chad’s cheek. “Ye think they sacrificed ye?”

“T-They… they didn’t know I c-came,” Chad whispered. “I w-wasn’t supposed to be h-here.”

“Well, _clearly_ ,” Harry laughed, mouthing at Chad’s neck. “Pretty thing like you should be locked in a castle keeping those lovely legs shut until Jay comes to part them. Bet he got off on how bashful ye are. Makes me wonder…” he drawled, voice dropping to a low pitch. “…how often do ye think he munked off to ye? To his pretty little _prince_.”

“He d-didn’t,” Chad gasped, shaking his head. “Jay d-doesn’t-”

“No more of that now,” Harry soothed, pressing a finger to Chad’s lips. “Tell me, did ye at least get to kissing?” 

With a swallow, Chad nodded his head, his chest feeling so very tight.

Harry grinned. “Then let’s test that out now,” he murmured, cupping Chad’s cheek. “If ye cooperate, it won’t hurt. Do ye understand?”

The next nod was even shakier than the first, accompanied by a new wave of tears.

“That’s the spirit,” Harry drawled, and then he was leaning forward, pulling Chad into a kiss.

-:-:-:-:-:-

It could probably have been worse.

Chad and Harry passed a lot of time sort of lazily making out. It seemed enough for Harry, who otherwise kept his hand engaged petting down Chad’s stomach, though he never went lower than the pubic hair he loved to run his fingers through, marveling at its neat, even cut. 

Chad wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Uma and Gil returned; grins triumphant as they settled on the edge of the bed.

“They took the bait,” Uma said, her smirk vicious. “They’re coming noon tomorrow with Fairy Godmother’s wand.”

“And ye thought they wouldn’t come,” Harry scoffed, caressing Chad’s side. 

Chad didn’t know what to say, he was still shocked that the others would come at all. Maybe it was out of obligation? If Ben was with them, that would certainly be the case, since Chad was supposed to be part of his council one day. 

There was also the fact they were going to trade over the wand for _Chad_. Chad, whose uselessness would lead to the barrier falling, and he couldn’t- they couldn’t _do_ that.

Uma raised a brow at him. “Blondie got a low opinion of himself?”

“Seems that way,” Harry cackled. “Perhaps because he’s a _virgin_.”

“What?” Gil perked up. “What’s that?”

“Someone who hasn’t had sex, baby,” Uma said, petting Gil almost absently, though her gaze was entirely focused on Chad. “That does change things.”

“Think the price went up?” Harry asked with a grin before Chad could stumble through asking her himself. “Our freedom for an untouched blond seems like a pretty good deal.”

“Yeah, but there’s plenty who would pay a pretty penny for untainted royal flesh,” Uma said, pressing a hand to Chad’s chest, just above his heart. “The Queen of Hearts would probably like him for her daughters, but…” she trailed off with a smirk. “I do like the idea of holding onto him myself as a status symbol.”

“What are ye thinking?” Harry said, perking up.

Uma considered her options. “His virginity’s only worth something if we’re stuck on the Isle. If the plan fails, if they try to deceive us, we hold onto blondie. Least that way we’ll get _something_ out of this.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Harry drawled, offering her a smirk.

Uma rolled her eyes. “Go grab some food and rest up. Gilly and I can take over watching him from here.”

“Ye got it, captain,” Harry said, though he swooped in to steal one last kiss from Chad, who did his best to comply under the circumstances. When Harry pulled back, he shot the captain a wink. “Taught him that new trick while ye were gone.”

“It’s a good one,” Uma mused, settling into Harry’s vacated position. “Gilly, you want to try kissing the prince?”

“Yes, please,” Gil chirped, and he ducked in with eager lips, skin chapped a little rough but seeming, for whatever reason, very eager. 

“…my boys,” Uma mused when Gil moved to splay out on Chad’s other side, and it was a bit of a tight fit, the three of them having to squeeze together on the bed, but for whatever reason that, of all things, seemed more fond and comforting than anything else Uma had said. “Enjoy the evening, Gil. Tomorrow, we ride with the tide.”

“Yes, captain,” Gil whispered, and then he went back to kissing Chad.

Perhaps it was something Chad should get used to, because the others _definitely_ couldn’t trade the wand for him. Not for Chadwick James, not for someone so very unremarkable. 

Maybe this was his destiny after all. 

-:-:-:-:-:-

The next day passed in a blur. Gil helped Chad take care of his basic needs, offering slices of a brown, splotchy apple that Chad took carefully. He um, relieved himself in a bucket, and while Chad’s arms were no longer bound (they hurt a lot from being contorted in that same position all night) Gil was always sure to have a hand on him, sort of as a looming threat because Chad already knew how strong he was. 

Chad wasn’t sure what time it was when Uma urged them up onto the deck, and Chad couldn’t help but huddle, embarrassed by his lack of clothing. Uma’s pirate crew was already scattered around the deck, all of them leering at his nakedness while Harry cackled loudly, delighted by Chad’s humiliated blush. 

It got a little better though, because Gil decided to sit down on a storage crate and pull Chad into his lap. At least it guarded his backside, though Gil was sure to urge Chad’s legs wide, petting at the inside of his thighs in random, teasing patterns. 

Chad had never felt this exposed, though he supposed he deserved it for being so very _stupid_. 

“Tick-tock, _tick-tock_ ,” Harry would giggle every time he passed them. “Your time’s running out, blondie.”

“It’s not noon yet, Harry,” Uma drawled, her bored gaze on the horizon. “They’ll come.” Her eyes drifted over to Chad. “For him, they’ll come.”

“I’d come all over him, if you’d let me,” one of the more daring crewmates cackled, a laugh that only intensified when Uma hurled a knife in his direction, the pirate _just_ managing to skitter out of the way.

“Fuck off, Jonas,” Uma said, but there was a smile tugging at her lips.

Pirates were weird.

The closer it got to noon, the more Chad shook. On top of feeling so terribly exposed, he was anxious for what was to come. In stories, the dashing prince was the one who always managed the rescues, or at the very least he _helped_ , but Chad had been useless in this endeavor. He’d spent most of it tied up and the other half captive in Gil’s embrace, and he hadn’t even _tried_ to run. He was pretty sure Flynn Rider would have attempted that much. His father had searched an entire kingdom, and Chad was just Chad. Hopeless.

“Hey,” Gil whispered, nuzzling Chad’s cheek. “It’ll be okay. If they don’t come, we’ll take real good care of you, I promise.” He pressed a kiss to Chad’s cheek. “Captain doesn’t abandon what’s hers, okay? And I know she and Harry seem scary now, but they’re really the best, you’ll see. You’ll be _our_ prince, and no one else will dare mess with you. You’ll never be lonely again.”

Chad shivered at that, proving how very stupid he was that such a thing could be tempting. Chad didn’t _want_ to be alone, and Gil didn’t know. Chad was a novelty because he was a prince, but even Mal had grown sick of Chad in the end. The pirates likely would too, and then they’d- he didn’t know, _sell_ him, or something. 

It made Chad shake harder.

“No, no, it’s okay,” Gil soothed, cuddling Chad close. “I know it seems too good to be true, but Uma kept me around all these years and I’m an awful pirate. That’s how loyalty works.”

Chad was pretty sure Uma was also in love with Gil, but he lacked the ability to articulate that, choosing to keep his mouth shut while Gil aimlessly pet him, until at last there was movement on the docks.

“ _Uma!_ ” It was Mal – _Mal_ in all her fury, holding onto _Fairy Godmother’s wand_ and Chad could feel his vision going white at the edges, because this couldn’t be happening. They couldn’t give the wand to Uma. Chad agreed that the pirates shouldn’t be on the Isle, but if she let the barrier down _everyone_ could get off, including the worst of the villains – the ones with power that could torture civilians like Jafar and Queen Grimhilde and Dr. Facilier and Shuriki. The kids would get out, but _they_ would escape too, and it couldn’t happen, not for Chad.

“Well, well, _well_ ,” Uma drawled, approaching the gangplank with a slow prowl. “Look who decided to show up.”

“Where is he?” Mal snapped, and beyond her, Chad could see the rest of the transfer students, could see _Evie_ , and there was Lonnie and Ben for whatever reason, all armed with swords and watching the ship with worried eyes. “We brought the wand, Uma.”

“How do I know it’s real?”

“How do I know you _actually_ have Chad?” Mal snarled back, and they stood at a tense impasse before Uma jerked her head towards Gil. 

The blond pirate stood easily, guiding Chad onto his feet and forcing him forward, to the growing catcalls of the crew. They didn’t stop until they were beside Uma, Chad’s head hung with shame at how far he had fallen. Part of him still couldn’t believe that she had come, but it must have been for Ben. 

“You fucking _shit_ ,” Mal hissed, tone latent with fury. “If you laid a single hand on him-”

“Relax, poser,” Uma said, rolling her eyes. “We figured Jay would like his boy toy in one piece. He’s still the pretty little virgin he was yesterday.”

“Though he won’t stay that way forever,” Harry said, swooping in to wrap an arm around Chad’s waist and mouthing at the curve of his neck. “Ye try anything fishy and I’ll fuck ‘im against these boards while you watch.”

“Do that and you’ll choke on blood before it’s over,” Mal snarled, Jay curling a hand around her shoulder to hold her back.

“Huh.” Uma cocked her head to the side. “You seem awfully attached to something that belongs to Jay.”

“What’s Jay’s is mine, Uma, you know that,” Mal snapped.

“Then why’d you send him off all by himself?” Uma pressed. “Why’d you leave him in tears and throw him to the wolves?”

“Do you want the wand or _what_?” Mal hissed, offering up the small rod. “I don’t have all day.”

She couldn’t- _they couldn’t_ do this. 

“ _Don’t_ ,” Chad burst, almost as surprised by his own volume as the others were that he’d finally broken his silence. “Don’t, Mal – _please_. T-Take the wand and _go_.”

Harry pulled in close, pressing the tip of his hook against Chad’s throat. “Trying to play the self-sacrifice card, blondie?” he murmured, the words low and threatening in Chad’s ears. “Ye think we deserve the Isle _that_ much?”

“N-Not you,” Chad said, shaking his head as much as the hook would allow. “N-Not the kids. Or the p-petty crim-criminals. B-But the- the big villains-”

“Our parents,” Uma said, her gaze narrowed. 

Chad nodded. “Y-You haven’t done an-anything wrong, but they- they might- they could h-hurt someone-”

“Like how we’ve hurt _ye_ ,” Harry hissed.

Chad shook his head. “Y-You did the b-best with what you had. It’s w-what you always do, b-because that’s all you _can_ do.”

Harry considered him for a hard moment, then tore his hook away with a scowl. “ _Unbelievable_.” He shook his head roughly, as though trying to clear it, then refocused on Chad with narrowed eyes. “And with all your _goodness_ , would ye forgive us too?”

There were some murmurs from the crew, but Chad ignored them, distracted by the breeze sweeping through his curls. “It depends if you were s-sorry,” he said. “I would, if you w-were.”

“Captain.” It was Ben, regal and respectful and _kind_ , standing tall beside Mal and Jay as he addressed the pirate captain. “Things don’t have to go this way. The goal was always to get more kids off the Isle. The fact that it hasn’t happened yet is on me, because I’ve been adjusting to my crown, but we could change that _today_. Come with us to Auradon. Come with us and help be a part of the solution to _fix_ the Isle.”

There was a tense silence while Uma considered Ben’s proposal, moments where Mal was scowling furiously, likely only holding her silence due to the hand Jay had on her shoulder.

“…my full crew’s coming,” Uma said after a beat. “And I’m not giving blondie back until we’re off this garbage heap.”

“So long as he stays unharmed,” Ben said, to Evie and Mal’s joint ire. “And um… you give him some clothes.”

“ _Fine_ ,” Uma said, and then there was a flurry of motion, pirates moving to pack their bags. Uma left a few on deck to guard the gangplank in case of an attack, but Chad found himself bundled downstairs, taken into Gil’s quarters while the blond hastily packed a worn satchel and gave Chad a spare set of his clothes. He didn’t have underwear, but Chad was grateful for _anything_ , even if it did make him look like a bit of a pirate.

Uma smiled at him when she saw him next, looking him over with a pleased grin before she kissed him, and Chad – helpless for what else to do, reciprocated. 

He didn’t know what was happening. Well, _he did_ , he just didn’t know how to feel about it. 

He knew even less when the pirates finally abandoned the ship, Gil keeping Chad safely tucked between himself and Harry, who bared his teeth at anyone who so much as glanced their way. 

Ben, with an unfair sort of casualness, walked beside Uma, Mal on his other side. “We’ve got a limo,” he explained. “It will be a tight fit, but we should be able to manage.”

Chad cleared his throat. “Um… if you have my um- clothes, I hid the remote for my car in a secret pocket in my boot.”

For whatever reason, that took all of them by surprise. Which shouldn’t be the case, because Ben _knew_ Chad had come before him.

The king furrowed his brows. “You… you didn’t come with Mal?”

“What? No, I read the note,” Chad said. “And um… _appropriated_ one of the cars from the garage.”

He left out the part where Doug helped, because that had very much been done under duress.

That surprised Ben too and made Mal’s expression go all tight before the king decided to move on. “It’ll be less of a squeeze, then,” he said, turning his attention back to Uma. “Carlos and Lonnie will take one car, and Jay can drive the other.”

“We’re going half and half,” Uma said, her gaze narrowed. “No way am I putting my entire crew in one car.”

“That’s fair,” Ben said, nodding. “But I promise when we get to Auradon, I’ll claim all of you as refugees.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Uma said with a roll of her eyes. 

They ended up with Carlos and Lonnie driving the majority of Uma’s crew, while Jay drove Ben, Mal, Evie, Chad, Uma, Harry, and Gil. They likely wanted more time to talk to each other in private before they got to the mainland, but mostly Chad just felt better to be sitting next to Evie, even if she seemed so very awkward for some reason. Gil and Harry ended up in the driver’s section with Jay, though the tall teen assured them he would be fine, which left the rest of them sort of hovering awkwardly in the back seat.

It sort of got worse when Mal climbed _over_ Ben so she could pull Chad into a hug. A hug he didn’t entirely understand the purpose of since she hated him, but he fell into it nonetheless, because he was so very greedy.

“You piece of shit, you fucking piece of shit,” she was chanting under her breath as she rose up onto her knees, her position allowing her to press kisses against Chad’s curls as she cradled him close. “Why the fuck would you follow me to the Isle, you _asshole_.”

“I- I’m sorry,” Chad whispered, hopelessly lost. “I thought we were friends-”

“You’re dating _Evie_ ,” Mal said, as if one had anything to do with the other.

Chad blinked up at her. “…yes?”

“ _So_ ,” Mal hissed. “You can’t offer to _abandon_ everything in Auradon – including _her_ – to spend your life with me!”

“I mean,” Chad sniffed, realizing they were picking up the conversation he had thought was finished. “Sure, I can. Because you abandoned everything too, which meant Evie still had all _that_ and you didn’t have anything except yourself. So I had to offer.” He knew it was likely unwelcome, but he slid himself close anyway, tucking his head against her shoulder. “…I love you, Mal. And you deserve good things.”

Evie breathed in a sharp gasp beside him, and Chad fumbled for her hand, turning to look at her. “That doesn’t mean I don’t love you too. Sorry, _sorry_ , I should have said that. Just-”

“Both of us,” Evie said, but she was smiling like this was a wonderous thing, and not in fact the worst.

Chad relaxed. “…yeah.”

In the next moment, he found himself getting tackle hugged by Evie, the princess doing her best to wrap herself around Chad _and_ Mal. “I knew you were perfect,” she whispered, nuzzling into his shoulder. “Mal, I’m so sorry I got mad-”

“You were right to be angry,” Mal said. “I was toeing the line for what I could take as a friend and what I could take as your leader. And that… that wasn’t fair.”

“You didn’t think you could have us both,” Evie said, and Chad didn’t know what that meant. “But you _can_ , Mal.”

“Mal…” Ben said, his tone so hesitant. “Do you… do you need to-”

“Ben.” Mal turned to face the king, still very much holding onto Chad and Evie. “I’ve been struggling for a while, and yeah, part of that is because of all the court stuff, but mostly…” she trailed off with a nuzzle, brushing against Chad’s curls. “It’s because the balance was wrong. These two are mine, and if you want me, you’re gonna have to take them too.”

Chad was- she _wanted_ Chad?

“Deal,” Ben said, not hesitating so much as a moment as he broke into a smile. “I’ll um- have to file some more paperwork to make you my people of the court, but that is- yes, Mal, we can do that.”

“Wait,” Chad said, hating to push his luck but needing to understand. “Does that- does that mean you don’t hate me?”

Mal’s expression fell. “ _Chad_ ,” she said, tugging him close. “No. I just said all that shit so you’d leave me behind and go back to Evie. It was like, the only thing I could do for her.”

“Because you didn’t expect him to follow you,” Evie said, staring at Mal with a hard gaze. “You didn’t expect _me_ to follow you-”

“You seemed so well adjusted!”

“You would have been too,” Evie pressed, her gaze hard. “If you’d just _talked_ to us.”

“ _Fine_ ,” Mal sighed, a dramatic, over the top thing. “You were right.”

“Don’t strain yourself,” Ben said, smiling.

“Um…” Chad blinked sort of dumbly. “What… what’s happening?”

“We’re merging our relationships,” Mal explained, petting both Chad and Evie’s hair. “So that we are all dating. Because you three make me better, and going on _without_ you and Evie has been awful.”

“And um…” Ben spoke up, a growing blush apparent in the rear-view mirror. “I like you guys a lot too. More than I should, I know, so… this works out.”

Chad could feel himself staring dumbly. “…you like _me_?”

“Blondie,” Uma said, choosing to speak up for the first time since this conversation started. “ _I_ like you, and I’ve known you for like, a day.”

“Yeah,” Chad sniffed. “But not in my natural habitat. I’m like…”

“Sweet,” Evie offered.

“Caring,” Mal said.

“Funny?” Ben tried with a hopeful grin.

Chad blushed. “I was going to say the worst, but-”

“Not true,” Mal _growled_ , curling low to pepper Chad’s face with kisses. “Taken advantage of, maybe. Neglected, definitely, but not _the worst_. Nothing of mine is the worst, I only take the best.”

“It’s a point of pride for her,” Uma said, rolling her eyes.

Mal tensed for a moment, then sighed. “…if we are being all touching and shit, I’m sorry for dumping a bucket of shrimp on you all those years ago,” Mal said, which- _what_. “I was worried you might get better street cred than me. My mom talked about you a lot.”

Uma tensed, then- “Damn right, she did,” the captain huffed. “But that was shitty of you. We could have run the Isle.”

“Well,” Mal began. “We could rule Auradon. Does that work for you?”

Uma considered this for a moment. “I suppose it will have to do.”

Ben laughed – one of those free ones that seemed to take him by surprise, one that he couldn’t contain to ensure he maintained a mask of professionalism. 

And strangely enough, Uma laughed too. “You guys up for double dating? If we’re going to Auradon, I want to take my boys out for a night on the town.”

Mal rolled her eyes. “You’re just saying that ‘cuz you hope we’ll share.”

“ _Obviously_ ,” Uma said. “But I’d share too.”

“We’ll consider it,” Evie said, ever the diplomatic, and while Chad didn’t know what was going on-

He did know that he was happy. Things _had_ turned out okay after all, and he had Mal _and_ Evie- and they both liked him. Ben too, and that was-

It was wild, really. But in the best possible way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was all she wrote :)
> 
> Until next time


End file.
